Criminal justice: Gov Sule moves to tackle injustice, decongest correctional facilities ****Promises speedy dispensation of justice

By David Okpashi

WORRIED by the increasing pending criminal cases in the state judicial system, Nasarawa State government Tuesday declared that it is evolving measures and new strategies to ensure quick dispensation of cases in the state.

The state government also promised to ensure disconjestion of correctional facilities across the 13 Local government Area of the state.

The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Labaran Magaji who stated this when he received the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Lafia said the state government has taken several measures that will ensure speedy trials and dispensation of criminal cases, decongest the Correctional centres in the state.

According to Magaji, high volume of cases awaiting trial in Nasarawa state was becoming a source of concern to the governor and the government in the state.

He added that the planned system by the present government under the leadership of governor Abdullahi Sule would ensure speedy dispensation of criminal cases within a period of four-weeks stating further that his ministry had chosen few cases to carry out experimentation of the planned adoption of the system.

While decrying incessant adjournment of cases in court, which he said were unwarranted in the administration of justice, the Attorney-general there were no justifiable reasons for courts to delay cases especially criminal cases

Attorney-general who however blamed some counsels who were in the habit of filling unnecessary motions and counter motions over cases that would have been dispensed within two weeks called for all hands to be on desk to ensure that
correctional facilities in the state were discojested.

“I have served as a public prosecutor in several states for over 10 years and so the ministry under my watch will ensure that cases in court are dispense of within the limited period to avoid undue delay in the process of the rule of law,”

“With my background as a public prosecutor, I will bring my experience to bear to ensure adherence to the rule of law in the state.

According to him, a team of counsels from the ministry is already working to prosecute all cases involving persons no matter their social status adding that already advocacy visit to all the stakeholders in the criminal justice system has been paid to ensure a smooth administration of justice in the state.”

Earlier, Chairman of the Correspondents chapel had congratulated the commissioner for his appointment, urging him to bring his experience to bear in ensuring quick dispensation of justice in the state.

He assured the commissioner of the media’s continued collaboration and effective reportage of the ministry’s activities as well as the entire state.