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BREAKING News: Chief Justice of Nigeria Creates Corruption & Financial Crimes Court

Posted by Odinaka on Mon 18th Sep, 2017 - tori.ng

While speaking at the special session of the Supreme Court where he administered oath on 29 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria on Monday, the Chief Justice of Nigeria revealed that it has established a special court for corruption.

Justice Walter Onnoghen during his swearing-in as 20th Chief Justice of Nigeria

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen has directed heads of the divisions of courts to establish a special court for corruption and financial crimes cases, Daily Sun reports.

This, he explained will curb the unnecessary delay associated with the prosecution of such cases.

In addition, the CJN has further directed heads of courts to compile and forward to the National Judicial Council (NJC), comprehensive lists of all corruption and financial crime cases with them.

Justice Onnoghen disclosed the measures Monday at the special session of the Supreme Court where he administered oath on 29 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).

Speaking in the presence of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and other dignitaries including state governors and past Chief Justices of Nigeria, Justice Onnoghen said they were aimed at supporting the fight against corruption of the present administration.

In order for the National Judicial Council (NJC) to monitor and effectively enforce the foregoing Policy, the CJN announced that an Anti-Corruption Cases Trial Monitoring Committee will be constituted at the next Council meeting.

The committee, he explained, “would be saddled with, among other things the responsibility of ensuring that both Trial and Appellate Courts handling corruption and financial crime cases key into and abide by our renewed efforts at ridding our country of the cankerworm.”

Justice Onnoghen further directed Heads of Courts to clamp down on both Prosecution and Defence Counsel who indulge in the unethical practice of deploying delay tactics to stall criminal trials.

He said; “Heads of Courts are now to report such cases to the NJC which in turn, would transmit them to the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, in the case of Senior Advocates, and Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee in the case of other Legal Practitioners.”

“Heads of Courts have been directed to designate in their various jurisdictions, one or more Courts, depending on the volume of such cases, as Special Courts solely for the purpose of hearing and speedily determining corruption and financial crime cases.

“Where such cases come on appeal, to either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court, Special Dates on each week, shall be fixed solely for hearing and determining such appeals.

The CJN noted that the judiciary cannot win this war alone; hence the need for collaboration and interface with stakeholders in this noble cause.

“We are under no illusion that the fight against corruption would be an easy one, as we are already aware that when you fight corruption, corruption fights back; but we are determined to win it. We require all hands to be on deck to fight this monster.

“We in the Supreme Court, having reduced the pre-election appeals in the course of the Third Term of the last Legal year, will devote much of this First Term in dealing, by way of task work, with the identified eighteen (18) EFCC, ICPC, and Economic Crime cases alongside the normal Civil, Criminal, and Political cases,” he revealed.

The CJN observed “We must not lose sight of the indispensable role of the judiciary in the fight against corruption.

“Corruption continues to place the judiciary in the eye of the storm, but, we cannot allow that to deter us or weaken our resolve. It is regrettable that the image of the Judiciary has been tarnished by the notion that the Nigerian Judiciary is bedeviled by corrupt elements, hence the need for an image building parade.

"We must accept that acts of misconduct of a few rub off on the rest of the judiciary and create the impression that all judicial officers have their hands soiled with the proceeds of corruption. Let me be clear here; it is not going to be business as usual for the few unscrupulous elements in our midst.”