An Appraisal of the Power of Attorney General in the 1999 Constitution: Whether His Power Can be Questioned or Challenged in Court
Table of Contents
Toggle๐๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฟ ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐.
The office of Attorney-General is a sacred office and has a prosecutorial power over any case/matter which relates to crime in the country. AG’s fiat is delegable; and conferred onto him by constitution as would be subsequently digested and seen.
Historically, for we to trace the origin of Attorney-General powerful practice, we must visit the archive of British Common law system.
During the thirteenth century, the monarch’s attorney or king’s sergeant had the sole onus of maintaining the interest of the king in the royals court. As a medal prize for his devotion toward representing the king’s volition, the prerogative power of king to control, initiate or pause on prosecution was vested on his foremanโAttorney-General. Thus, the AG became law onto himself that can do and undo; institute and de-institute.
This unquestionable vires reposed on Attorney-General is called ‘ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช ‘ย . ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช is a latin phrase which means ‘ will no longer prosecute’.ย It is a power granted to Attorney-General for him to represent state crimes and interest in administratjon of justice and adjudication or prosecution of offenders.
The Attorney-General who is a leader of prosecution in England, when he enterred a ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช power can not be subjected to judicial review or further scrutiny as to why he enterred such power. This can be seen from the landmark decision of the court onย ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐ซย ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐ฉ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐จย ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐ซ. ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ช๐จ. The House of Lorss per, Lord Viscount Dilhome held:
” ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง๐จย ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ช๐. ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ (๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ) ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ….. ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ๐จ”
Therefore, suffice it to say, the office of Attorney-General in Nigerian constitution is not a novelย innovation in to the judicial system or , rather is not the creation of our constitution ; it predated the Nigerian constitution. It is the establishment of Common Law of England.
Hence, Nigeria as a weaned child of British and a common wealth Member copiedย similar, if not same, prosecutorial power and conferred ontoย her Attorney-General of federation who isย a supreme judicial officer in the country and the Attorney-Generals of thirty sisx states in Nigeria.
๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ผ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง 1999 ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ.
Constitution been the mother law of the land from which all other laws are born and derived their powers. Nigerian constitution did not overlook the incontestable powers of Attorney-Generals and the eminence powers vested onto them by other constitution of the world; it established the office of Attorney-General of Federation and Attorney-Generals of thirty six states under section 150 and 195 of 1999 constitution and endowed onto them an exalted vires under section 174 and 211 of the refferred constitution of federal Republic of Nigeria.
Theย sections 174(1) (a) (b) (c) conjunctivelyย read thus:
ย ย ย ” ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ-๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐กย ๐ค๐ย ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐กย ๐๐๐ซ๐ย ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐งย ๐ฉ๐คย ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐, ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ ๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ย ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง, ๐๐๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ย ๐๐ฉย ๐๐ฃ๐ฎย ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐กย ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐, ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ- ๐ข๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐๐ก , ๐๐ฃ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ค๐ง ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ผ๐จ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎ”.
similarly section 211 (1) (๐) (๐) (๐)ย jointly read thus:
ย ย ย ย ” ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ-๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ , ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง , ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐”.
The Attorney-General as the chief officer of law in the temple of justice and a minister of the government by virtue of section 150 and 195 of 1999 constitution shall have a prosecutorial power over any criminal proceedings in Nigeria; and his power can be delegated to the other Attorneys in his office or department by virtue of subsection (2) of section 174(1) )ย and subsection (2) of section 211(1)ย of 1999 constitution.
Although, the Attorney-General can only extend his prosecutorial powers endowed onto him by law to either members of his department or private legal practitioners through the threshold of ‘๐ง๐ช๐ข๐ต’
๐ ๐ง๐ช๐ข๐ต as defined by learned justice of Court of Appeal in the case ofย ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ซ. ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฌ๐(2020) 3 ๐๐๐๐ (๐ฅ๐ฉ 1710) 22 held that: ” ๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃย ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ย ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ย ๐ข๐๐๐ฃ๐จย โlet it be doneโ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐งย ๐ค๐ฃย ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐งย by ๐ย ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃย ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฎย ๐ค๐ฃย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐ย ๐ช๐ฅ๐ค๐ฃย ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐๐ฉย ๐๐จย ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃย ๐๐ฃย ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ”.
For instance, police being a department under the superintendence of Attorney-General and minister of justice, by virtue ofย ๐ฅ๐ค๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฉ 2020 under section 23 can prosecute on behalf of Attorney-General. The section reads thus:
ย “๐๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ฉย ๐ฉ๐คย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จย ๐ค๐ย ๐จ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จย 174ย ๐๐ฃ๐ย 211 ๐ค๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐กย ย ๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐๐ก๐๐ย ๐ค๐ย ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ย 1999 (๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ย ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐ฉ๐คย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐งย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐ผ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ -๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐กย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ค๐ย ๐ย ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐ฉ๐คย ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ ๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ย ๐ค๐ซ๐๐งย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ ๐ค๐งย ๐๐๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ย ย ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐กย ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จย ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉย ๐๐ฃ๐ฎย ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃย ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ย ๐๐ฃ๐ฎย ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉย ๐ค๐ย ๐ก๐๐ฌย ๐๐ฃย ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐) ,๐๐ฃ๐ฎย ๐ฅ๐ค๐ก๐๐๐ย ย ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐๐ฎย ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐ฉย ๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃย ๐๐ก๐กย ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จย ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ย ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐งย ๐ค๐งย ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃย ๐ค๐ง ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉย ๐๐จย ๐ก๐๐๐ย ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐”.
This also received a judicial vindication in the case of ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ชย ๐ซ. ๐
๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช& ๐๐ง๐จ (2022) 17 ๐๐๐๐. It was held by Court ofย Appeal that:
ย ย
โ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐งย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃย ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ง๐๐๐กย ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐กย ๐จ๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข , ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐กย ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จย ๐๐ง๐ย ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎย ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ย (which symbolises the people) ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐๐ย ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃย ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐ค๐ก๐ซ๐๐. ๐๐๐ช๐จ , ๐๐ฃ๐ฎย ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃย ๐ค๐ย ๐ย ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ย ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฃย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐จย ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ย ๐ฉ๐คย ๐๐๐ซ๐ย ๐๐๐๐ฃย ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐๐ก๐ . ๐๐๐ย ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐จย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ข๐ย ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐ค๐งย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐จโ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐จย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐๐จย ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐จย ๐ช๐ฅ๐ค๐ฃย ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐๐ก๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐กย ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐จย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉย ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎย ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ , ๐๐ช๐ฉย ๐๐ก๐จ๐คย ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ค๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐จย ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ย ๐ย ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉย ๐ค๐ย ๐ก๐๐ฌ. ๐๐ช๐๐ย ๐ย ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐งย ๐๐จย ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐ฎย ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ฎย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐ฉ๐คย ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ย ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐จย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จย ๐ก๐๐ ๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐ผ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ-๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐กย ๐ค๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ค๐ย ๐ย ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ค๐ก๐๐๐ , ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐กย ๐พ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐จย ๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ย ๐พ๐ค๐ง๐ง๐ช๐ฅ๐ฉย ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐จย ๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ, ๐๐ฉ๐ โ
Whether The Power of Attorney-General Can Be Challenged in the Court
It is trite law that courts has the sole. Power and jurisdiction to interprete and give meaning to any Act made by National Assembly in Nigeria (visit section 6 of 1999 constitution) but, Attorney-General he, alone, has the power to prosecute or not to prosecute. This has been painstakingly observed in the England case of ๐ ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ค๐ก๐ (1959) 4 ๐๐๐พ 119 ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ช๐๐ ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ (2004) 1 ๐๐๐๐ (๐ฅ๐ฉ 853) .
Similarly, in the locus classicus case of ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ค๐ง๐ (1985) 1 ๐๐พ๐๐๐ 94 the courtย ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ held that, ” ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง๐จ ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ผ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ-๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ;๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐ผ. ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ข๐๐จ๐ช๐จ๐๐จ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐๐ข๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ข ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐….. “
In the similar vein court does not have locus to challenge or question the exercise of the power of Attorney-General. It is the sole responsibility of the political power that appoint him(See theย case ofย ๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ช &๐ผ๐ฃ๐ค๐ง ๐. ๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ข๐ (1989) 3 ๐๐๐๐ (๐ฅ๐ฉ 112) 685) .
But where a person is aggrieved or disgruntled with the exercise of AG’s nolle prosequi, such person can bring or initiate a private action against him. (See the case of ๐ผ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎย -๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐. ๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฃ (1985) 2 ๐๐๐๐ (๐ฅ๐ฉ 8) 483).
Noteworthy, is the fact that when an Attorney-General enterred ๐ง๐ช๐ขt ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ prosequi in order to discontinue any proceedings that would not exculpate the suspect orย accused, or to reframe it in another dictum, that would not amount to acquittal, as the same person canย be indicted for the same offence in future. This was judicially blessed and cemented in the case of ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ซ. ๐๐ก๐ค๐ง๐(๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ง๐)ย per Eso Jscย he said: “๐ฃ๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ช๐ ๐๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ”
Conclusion
From the foregoing it is clearly exposed that the power conferred upon the Attorney-General by 1999 constitution is unchallengeable in court; and can only be annuled when such Attorney left office and a new one decides to proceeds with the matter.
However, according to the reasoning of this writer such absolute power endowed on Attorney-General who is, only questionable by his appointer, will lead to partiality in the administration of justice in Nigeria.
Thus, the power of Attorney-General should, supposed, to be trammelled, checked and limited by the competent court so as to forestall unscrupulous or indiscriminate application of power.
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About Author
Akilu Sa’adu is 200 level Law student from the Faculty of Law Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. He is an adent Human right advocate and legal enthusiast.