Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami has dissociated himself from the continued detention of former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Mr Malami denied culpability in Mr Dasuki’s continued detention in his response to a suit filed by an Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi.
Mr Jideobi, in his suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja sought among others, an order stripping Malami of his Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank on the grounds of engaging in unprofessional conduct by allegedly advising the federal government not to obey various court orders directing that Dasuki be released from illegal detention.
The plaintiff also cited an interview granted earlier in the year by Malami, stating that Dasuki would not be released from custody in the interest of national security.
The said interview formed the basis for the petition lodged before the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) by the Dasuki family, requesting that Malami be stripped of his SAN rank over his utterances in respect of the courts’ pronouncements ordering his release.
Family of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky had also filed a similar petition against the AGF before the LPDC.
The AGF said that he had never rendered any legal advice to the federal government or any of its agency concerning Dasuki’s case.
An affidavit deposed to on his behalf stated in part, “That the defendant did not, at any time, defend the alleged refusal of the Federal Government to obey six different court orders directing the release of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).”
Justice Evelyn Maha adjourned hearing in the suit till January 16, 2019.
