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Following a petition by some civil society groups
seeking the trial of former military president, Ibrahim Babangida over
his alleged indictment by the Okigbo Panel, the nation’s Attorney
General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, has requested for a
signed copy of the Okigbo Report from the group.

Responding to the petition, sent two weeks ago by 10
Nigerian civil society groups, Mr. Adoke acknowledged the receipt of
the petition in a reply dated April 16, 2010 signed by his Special
Assistant, Tunde Busari, requesting “for a signed copy of the Okigbo
Report attached to your letter under reference.” The groups, in another
letter to the Minister’s office yesterday, welcomed Mr. Adoke’s
response and his interest in the matter, which they described as
‘unprecedented.’ They said the minister’s response demonstrated the
willingness of the Acting President to exercise the requisite political
will to tackle the impunity of perpetrators of corruption, “which is
the single most important factor for the prevalence of high level
official corruption in the country.” The group however said a copy of
the report submitted to the Minister along with the petition is genuine
and reflects the original copy of the Okigbo’s Report, which they claim
is also in the custody of the government.

“Given that the Okigbo report is a public document,
and the huge public interest to see justice done in the matter, we urge
you to use your good office and leadership as the Chief Law Officer of
the Federation to obtain the original copy of the report from the
cabinet office through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of
the Federation,” they wrote. The group also drew Mr. Adoke’s attention
to the fact that a member of the Okigbo panel, Ufot Ekaette, is now
serving with the incumbent government. They directed the Attorney
General to meet him, as he “will have original copy of the report.”
“Accessing or obtaining the original copy of the Okigbo report is a
public function, which would be best performed through the Office of
the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and in criminal matters
like this, the government can also be asked to submit the original copy
of the Okigbo report by way of subpoena,” the groups said, adding that
“pursuing the above suggested course of action will ensure that
substance and justice prevails over technicality.”

Time for concrete action

They called for a concrete action within one week of
the receipt and/or publication of this letter, given the minister’s
expressed interest.

“We are leaving open the possibility of taking all
appropriate legal actions nationally and internationally to ensure full
compliance with Nigeria’s voluntary international anti-corruption
commitments, including under the UN Convention against Corruption,” the
group said in the letter. “Prosecuting the case and recovering any
missing public funds would have significant implications for the fight
against corruption in Nigeria. It will also send a strong message to
the citizens and the international community that the government is
capable of preserving the legitimacy of governmental activity.” The
letter was signed by the directors of all the groups, including the
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP); Access to
Justice (AJ); Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC);
Nigeria Liberty Forum (NLF); Women Advocates and Documentation Centre
(WARDC); Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA); Committee
for Defence of Human Rights, (CDHR); Partnership for Justice (PFJ);
Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS) and Centre for the Rule of Law (CFR).

The groups sent a petition to the Attorney General on 7 April 2010
expressing concerns about the continued failure or refusal by
successive governments to prosecute those involved in the mismanagement
of $12.4 billion.