The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed yesterday declared that the judiciary would no longer dismiss without trial cases of corruption against high- profile persons, stressing that the courts must stop giving verdicts that exonerate high-profile citizens accused of corruption without undergoing trial.
He spoke at a two-day event jointly-organised by the National Judicial Institute and the Prof. Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, with the theme: ‘The Roles of Judges in the Fight Against Corruption.”
While delivering his speech, the CJN stated that one of the reasons the cases against the politically-exposed persons had remained in the court’s dockets was because of lack of will by government to get them prosecuted.
According to him, “I must emphasise that the fact that these cases still remain on our case list was because of lack of will on the part of government to have these cases prosecuted.
“Also, as corresponding action from the judiciary, we are determined not to strike out or dismiss the cases or discharge and acquit accused persons without trial.
“That is why these cases remain on the list because of virile determination to have them prosecuted when the will to do so arises such as now.”
Mohammed stated that since 2013, various levels of court in the country had, “initiated and introduced Practice Directions on Kidnapping, Corruption and other Serious Offences, that provides framework for the fast-tracking of major crimes and corruption cases.”
“The issue of undue delay by technicality, which hitherto plagued the criminal justice system, has also been addressed by the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015,” he said.
The CJN urged, “all parties to proceedings to avail themselves of the innovations introduced by the Act in order to ensure that delay becomes obsolete in our courts.”
He assured Nigerians that the judiciary would continue to play its role in the fight against corruption, adding that due punishment would be meted out to anyone found guilty.
Reiterating the role of diligent investigation in the successful prosecution of corruption cases, Mohammed commended the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, for his effort in that regard.
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