Ohanaeze, Afenifere knock attorney-general

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and Afenifere knocked Malami.

Ohanaeze President-General Prof George Obiozor, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, in Enugu, said: “Such a remark by a chief law officer of a federation is thoughtless, insidious and prejudicial.

“Malami is a chief law officer that twists the law at will. He had in the past stated that ‘the rule of law is subservient to national security. Malami had also condemned the Amotekun security outfit by the Southwest and so on. In the words of Toyo Jimmy, Malami is a Chief Law Breaker.”

Ohanaeze said the people of Southern Nigeria had never had any problem with the conduct of the herdsmen until they started destroying farmlands and killing people.

“Malami knows that there has never been a report of a clash between the Southern motor spare parts sellers and the indigenous Northerners.

“The motor spare parts sellers render their services to the populace from a shop or a shade and are in no way comparable to the herders who invade farmlands, destroy crops, debauch women, maim, abduct and kill”.

Ohanaeze urged the Southern governors to put machinery in motion for the appropriate legal instruments to be put in place in their respective states so that the Open Grazing Law will become enforceable.

Afenifere said Malami was unfit for office.

It added that the minister had always allowed his “sectarian disposition” to cloud his qualifications.

Secretary-General of Afenifere, Sola Ebiseni, in a statement in Akure wondered why Malami was always quick to latch onto constitutional provisions each time he perceived a threat to the interests of herdsmen.

The group recalled that the minister once denounced Southwest regional security initiative codenamed Amotekun but developed cold feet when challenged to approach the court.

It reminded Malami that most of the states in the South already have laws banning open grazing.

The statement by Afenifere reads:  “It is the same primitive mindset of which the Buhari administration has threatened the Governor of Benue State(Samuel Ortom) that he would have no place except he allowed a free reign of animals.

“Malami was mischievously playing the role of an agent provocateur when he was inciting Northern governors to place a ban on spare parts trading in which Southerners are involved.

“In deference to their religious and cultural sensibilities, some of the Northern states made laws banning trading in alcoholic substances and have been seen destroying such wares in their millions notwithstanding that they share in the VAT collected on those goods and no one is crying over it.”