Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), says its ministry has profiled 3,000 terrorism cases in which 1,500 has been prosecuted and is currently collaborating with relevant agencies for the next phase of terrorism related trials.
Malami made this known in Abuja, during the 17th Edition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration Scorecard Series on Thursday.
“A total of 3,000 terrorism cases have been profiled to date, out of which over 1500 cases were prosecuted, with 397 convictions realised. A total of 7,000 cases involving various offences including maritime, armed robbery, vandalisation of electrical equipment and pipelines, financial matters, cybercrime, kidnapping and anti-corruption have been successfully prosecuted. We are also coordinating the next phase of terrorism related trials in collaboration with the Federal High Court, the Legal Aid Council and the Defence Headquarters’’, Malami said.
He said that the ministry, in conjunction with relevant security and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) has developed a framework for joint investigation and collaboration geared towards engagement of prosecution-guided investigation in terrorism cases, to address challenges of successful prosecutions.
“Furthermore, a robust interface has been developed between my office and LEA for synergy and good working relationship in the area of arrest, investigations, as well as Case Management, also as part of efforts to enhance prosecution of cases. The Ministry is currently remodeling structures at the Wawa Cantonment, Kainji to accommodate eight courtrooms, Judges’ Chambers, living accommodation, Lawyers’ dressing room and conveniences to make them conducive for Judges, Witnesses as well as Defendants’’, he added.
The need to have a permanent structure arose on the account of the fact that before now, what is obtainable in terms of boko-haram and terrorism cases was an ad-hoc arrangement.
“The ad-hoc arrangement of moving judges from jurisdictions to a particular location for prosecution to hold and whenever they are demobilized, the idea of mobilising them back to preside becomes a problem”, he explained.
He said the permanent structures will help in speedy prosecution and justice delivery.
The Minister therefore assured Nigerians that as the Chief Law Officer of the federation, he would continue to provide opinion, guide government and by extension of the section 174 of the constitution, coordinate anything prosecution particularly of criminal cases taking place in the nation.
NAN
