Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN) disclosed on Thursday that Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, and the former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, ex-Edo Gov. Adams Oshiomhole’s treasonable statements would be investigated.
Malami said at the 67th session of the State House briefing in Abuja on Thursday that security agencies were doing the needful in assessing the utterances, and the assessment would determine further actions such as investigation, prosecution and any other actions to be taken against them by the relevant agencies.
The minister noted that the naira redesign policy would help to curb the prominent role money played during election, adding it was to ensure that “money is not allowed to play a prominent role in affecting the freedom of judgment of Nigerians” at the polls.
“The policy associated with the Naira redesign has a lot of advantages, advantages associated with the fight against corruption in terms of bringing about the desired visibility and transparency, advantages associated with sustenance and allowing the freedom of judgment by Nigerians to prevail, freedom devoid of monetary inducement and intervention is equally part of it.
“This issue of treason are issues of process, so you cannot rule out the possibility of investigation, but the responsibility of investigation and doing the needful arising from the weight and assessment of the implication of the statement and utterances is the responsibility of security agencies.
“I believe they are doing the needful in that respect to determine whether there is need for further actions, actions associated with investigation, actions associated with prosecution and what other measures needs to be taken in case it is their conclusion, but there is need for actions to be taken in relating to the utterances made,” Malami stated.
el-Rufai has been one of the most vocal governors and strident critics of the Federal Government on the naira redesign policy conceived and implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Governor had countered the government’s order and declared that all old notes of N200, N500 and N1000 were still legal tenders in Kaduna State until the Supreme Court decides otherwise.
He had said: “For the avoidance of doubt, all the old and new notes shall remain in use as legal tender in Kaduna State until the Supreme Court of Nigeria decides otherwise.
“I therefore appeal to all residents of Kaduna state to continue to use the old and new notes side by side without any fear.
“The Kaduna state government and its agencies shall seal any facility that refuses to accept the old notes as legal tender and prosecute the owners.
“If need be, we shall take further consequential actions according to the law.”
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