The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has dismissed insinuations that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is pressuring him to withdraw corruption or criminal charges against allies and friends of the current administration.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, Fagbemi said the independence of his office remains intact, stressing that the President has never interfered in any case under investigation or prosecution.
“There is a wrong impression being created in some quarters that the Attorney-General is under pressure to compromise cases because of political affiliations,” he said. “Let me state clearly that President Bola Tinubu has never, at any time, asked me to drop charges against anyone. The law must take its course, and that is the position of this administration.”
The AGF explained that ongoing prosecutions, particularly those involving politically exposed persons, would be handled strictly in line with the law and available evidence. He emphasized that the era of shielding public officials or associates of government from accountability was over.
According to him, the Ministry of Justice and the various anti-graft agencies are working in synergy to ensure that corruption cases are pursued diligently without fear or favor.
“The integrity of the justice system is not negotiable. What we are doing is to build confidence in the rule of law. Nigerians should rest assured that no one is above the law, no matter their closeness to those in power,” Fagbemi added.
The minister also urged the public to ignore “baseless speculations” suggesting that certain cases may be stalled due to political influence.
Analysts say the statement comes amid growing public debates on the fate of high-profile cases involving figures linked to the ruling party. The AGF’s comments are seen as an attempt to reassure Nigerians of the government’s commitment to transparency and justice.
