The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has expressed exceptions to the views of Kelechi Madu, who is the Minister of Justice and Solicitor-General of the Government of Alberta, Canada.
He said Madu’s views were “outrageously ignoramus opinions that are eccentric and weird to the legal profession.”
Madu, had slammed the Nigerian Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami, over the re-arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
Madu, in a post on his LinkedIn page, said if reports that Kanu was abducted from Kenya were true, Malami was not only a disgrace to the rule of law but also not worthy to be a public officer.
The Canadian official, who is also the Deputy Government House Leader, said Nigeria and Kenya violated international law in the manner Kanu was extradited and called on world leaders to apply appropriate sanctions.
Madu, who demanded the release of Kanu, urged the Nigerian government to ensure his safety.
“The Attorney-General of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami, is a disgrace to the rule of law and not worthy to be an officer of the court.
“He has shown himself to be a bigot who does not understand what it means to live in a pluralistic society governed by the dictates of the rule of law,” he wrote.
He also called on the international community and leaders of nations to use all their power to ensure “real consequences for these arbitrary violations of internationally accepted democratic norms and rules that govern civilized people.”
Madu added that “Nigeria is burning, and the people of Nigeria, except those who are holding the country down, want out.
“You cannot destroy the hope and aspirations of a people destined for greatness and expect them to bow down in servitude.
“You cannot destroy a generation of people and expect them not to fight for their freedom. The power of guns, state-sponsored terrorism will not achieve peace or the preservation of Nigeria.
“The Igbo and other ethnic groups in Nigeria who are calling for Nigeria to be renegotiated do not seek violence or war. They seek peace. They seek progress and the advancement of their people. They seek fairness, safety, equity, and justice for their people.
“They seek the opportunity for their children to grow up and achieve their God-given abundant potential.
“They seek the rise of a people with the work ethic, intellect and capacity to be a truly global super power on the continent of Africa. They seek dignity over inhumane treatment. They seek life over death.
“Friends of the black world must unite and liberate the people of Nigeria from this bondage and from the claws of corrupt and inept politicians who have no business being near the corridor of Nigeria’s political power.”
But Malami in a statement said “It is unfortunate for someone who claims to be a lawyer of a status of a Solicitor General of a provincial State of Alberta in Canada to fault the internationally recognized manner through which Nnamdi Kanu who jumped bail was re-arrested and brought back to face trial.
It was abundantly clear that bench warrant was lawfully and judiciously procured through judicial process by a competent court of law, whose bail condition Nnamdi Kanu breached with impunity. There was no illegality in the entire process and the question of illegality does not even arise.
It is a common principle of the law that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
The self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed group of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has enjoyed representation by counsel of his choice all through the judicial process and was never denied a right of choice of counsel or recourse to one, even when he symbolizes a proscribed association (IPOB) in law, and in fact his association has been legally proscribed.
Where was the so-called Madu when Nnamdi Kanu was inciting violence against the country? Why, as a lawyer, would Madu support a fugitive who jumped bail and accused of terrorism and treasonable felony? What stopped Madu from voicing out dissent on the atrocities of Kanu and their group?
It is important to educate the likes of Keleche Madu that both Nigeria (his country of birth) and Canada (where he claims to be practicing law) are signatories to the Multinational Treaty Agreement where, among others, fugitive fleeing justice in nations with similar agreement could be brought back to face justice.
It is a pity that as a Solicitor General of a province, Madu failed to keep himself acquainted with the provisions of general laws of the country where he stays as well as international laws.
We wish to draw the attention of Madu to the provisions of Consolidated Act Criminal Code under the Canadian Law R.S., C 1985, c. C-46:1-2 on Treason and other Offences vis:
46(1) Every one commits high treason who, in Canada:
(a) Kills or attempts to kill Her Majesty or does her any bodily harm tending to death or destruction, maims or wounds her, or imprisons or restrains her,
(b) Levels war against Canada or does any act thereto; or
(C) Assist an enemy at war with Canada or any armed forces against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are.
46(2) Every one commits treason who, in Canada
(a) Use force or violence for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Canada or a province,
(b) Without lawful authority, communicates or makes available to an agent of a state other than Canada, military or scientific information or any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document of a military or scientific character that he knows or ought to know may be used by that state for a purpose prejudicial to the safety of defence of Canada.
(c) Conspires with any person to commit high treason or do anything mentioned in paragraph (a)
(d ) Forms an intention to do anything that is high treason or that is mentioned in paragraph (a) and manifest that intention by an overt act; or
(e) Conspires with any person to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) or forms an intention to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) and manifests intention by and overt act.
The punishments for treason are also stated in the Canadian Laws R.S.C. 1985, c. C-47:1-4.
As the saying goes “an empty vessel makes loudest noise”. We advise the so-called “learned man” to shelve his arrogance and learn to study the law books before opening his mouth to disgrace himself before the right thinking members of the society thereby attracting to himself criticism that may propel doubt about his suitability for the job he claims to be doing now, after moving out of his country of origin in which he fails to excel
▪︎ By Optimum Times