CJN to AGF: Don’t blame us for delays in high profile cases

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, has exonerated the judiciary from blame over delays in high profile cases.

The CJN accused the Federal Government’s prosecution sector of filing more charges than it can prove.

He said the position of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) that the judiciary be held responsible for delays in the trial and delivery of judgements in corruption cases involving politically exposed individuals appears to be one-sided.

“The Nigerian Judiciary is not here to lay claims to being perfect but when the political and economic conditions under which it is operating is compared with its counterparts in other climes, it would be adjudged a prize model.

“The judiciary by its constitutional position does not have a criminal investigations unit or Fraud Detective Squad to detect and investigate criminal involvement of any person, neither does it have a garrison command to fight its cause or enforce its orders and decisions.

“More often than not, the Federal Government’s prosecution sector files more charges than it can prove or provide witnesses, at times as a result the prosecution even fails,” he said.

The CJN’s position is contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media in Abuja.

He said that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015) under reference is infected with sores in some parts, making speeding adjudications impossible in some instances.

“In some instances the high volume of cases, limited number of judges, poor infrastructure or archaic equipment also contribute to the challenges,” the CJN said.

TheStar