Looters’ Trial: NJC Panel Set To Meet With EFCC, ICPC

.… receives 2, 306 high-profile case files
…..splits into four sub-committees, introduces new
guidelines

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has evolved a new practice
direction that will fast track hearing and determination of all
pending high-profile corruption cases.

The Council, in a statement on Sunday, said its Corruption and
Financial Crimes Cases Trials Monitoring Committee, COTRIMCO, has
also resolved to actively engage prosecutorial bodies like the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in
furtherance of its mandate to ensure quick determination of such
pending cases.

It said the new guideline would be issued to Judges across the
federation that are currently presiding over trial of alleged
looters.

Besides, the NJC which is headed by the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, equally disclosed that
COTRIMCO which it said has been divided into four sub-committees,
has received a total of 2, 306 on-going alleged corruption matters
that are now receiving attention.

According to the statement that was signed by the Director of
Information at the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye, “The sub-committees are;
Practice Directions, Training, Feedback and Engagement and
Awareness. They were constituted at the meeting of the anti-graft
Panel, under the leadership of the Chairman, Hon. Justice Suleiman
Galadima, CFR (Rtd).

“The Committee also divided the Country into three zones for
ease of monitoring and evaluation of the said cases.

“The Zones are: Zone A, Abuja FCT, Zone B, Northern Zone and
Zone C, Southern Zone”.

It said that Chief Judges of State Divisions that had yet to
submit list of alleged corruption cases to the committee have been
directed to do so without delay.

“The Committee directed its Secretary, Gambo Saleh, Esq. who is
also the Council’s Secretary, to write the defaulting CJs.

“At the last count, Zone A in Abuja has 554 pending alleged
cases, Zone B has 347 cases, with Zone C having 1, 405 cases.

“The Committee, after brainstorming on all the pending alleged
corruption and financial crime cases submitted to it by the Heads
of Court that had complied, also indicated that a new Practice
Direction would be issued to Judges handling the said cases.

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, GCON,
had directed the Heads of Court to designate Courts and Judges that
will solely handle the on-going trials on daily basis; to
fast-track all the pending alleged corruption cases.

“The Practice Directions sub-committee has commenced a review of
various practice directions by leveraging on both local and foreign
comparative jurisdictions to meet global best practice.

“The Committee said it was imperative that other critical
stakeholders buy into the mission of the body, directing that
regular updates and advocacy postings on sub-committees’ activities
must be a permanent feature of the project.

“No date has been fixed for the planned interface with the
anti-corruption bodies”, the statement added.

It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had at the
flagging-off 2017 All Judges Conference in Abuja, commended the CJN
for directing judges to submit pa comprehensive list of all
corruption and financial crimes in order to designate special
courts to handle them.

President Buhari said he was in support of the CJN’s action,
saying “the public is awaiting the results of this initiative”.

Some terms of reference of the Justice Suleiman Galadima-led
committee include: “To monitor and regularly evaluate the progress
and activities of courts designated to try corruption an
financial/economic crime cases;

“Advise on Practice Directions for approval by the Chief Justice
of Nigeria to be applicable in all such courts across the country
with a view to eliminating procedural and administrative
bottlenecks militating against speedy disposal of such cases;

“Advise on the trainings, re-trainings and other refresher
programmes for Judges and staff of the designated courts aimed at
enhancing their capacities to function effectively;

“Come up with an effective feedback mechanism from Heads of
Courts to the Council on the activities and progress of cases
before designated courts;

Likewise to, “Generally advise Council on the day-to-day
strategies for the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of
the designated courts and on strategies for improvement in
performance”.

.… receives 2, 306 high-profile case files
…..splits into four sub-committees, introduces new
guidelines

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has evolved a new practice
direction that will fast track hearing and determination of all
pending high-profile corruption cases.

The Council, in a statement on Sunday, said its Corruption and
Financial Crimes Cases Trials Monitoring Committee, COTRIMCO, has
also resolved to actively engage prosecutorial bodies like the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in
furtherance of its mandate to ensure quick determination of such
pending cases.

It said the new guideline would be issued to Judges across the
federation that are currently presiding over trial of alleged
looters.

Besides, the NJC which is headed by the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, equally disclosed that
COTRIMCO which it said has been divided into four sub-committees,
has received a total of 2, 306 on-going alleged corruption matters
that are now receiving attention.

According to the statement that was signed by the Director of
Information at the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye, “The sub-committees are;
Practice Directions, Training, Feedback and Engagement and
Awareness. They were constituted at the meeting of the anti-graft
Panel, under the leadership of the Chairman, Hon. Justice Suleiman
Galadima, CFR (Rtd).

“The Committee also divided the Country into three zones for
ease of monitoring and evaluation of the said cases.

“The Zones are: Zone A, Abuja FCT, Zone B, Northern Zone and
Zone C, Southern Zone”.

It said that Chief Judges of State Divisions that had yet to
submit list of alleged corruption cases to the committee have been
directed to do so without delay.

“The Committee directed its Secretary, Gambo Saleh, Esq. who is
also the Council’s Secretary, to write the defaulting CJs.

“At the last count, Zone A in Abuja has 554 pending alleged
cases, Zone B has 347 cases, with Zone C having 1, 405 cases.

“The Committee, after brainstorming on all the pending alleged
corruption and financial crime cases submitted to it by the Heads
of Court that had complied, also indicated that a new Practice
Direction would be issued to Judges handling the said cases.

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, GCON,
had directed the Heads of Court to designate Courts and Judges that
will solely handle the on-going trials on daily basis; to
fast-track all the pending alleged corruption cases.

“The Practice Directions sub-committee has commenced a review of
various practice directions by leveraging on both local and foreign
comparative jurisdictions to meet global best practice.

“The Committee said it was imperative that other critical
stakeholders buy into the mission of the body, directing that
regular updates and advocacy postings on sub-committees’ activities
must be a permanent feature of the project.

“No date has been fixed for the planned interface with the
anti-corruption bodies”, the statement added.

It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had at the
flagging-off 2017 All Judges Conference in Abuja, commended the CJN
for directing judges to submit pa comprehensive list of all
corruption and financial crimes in order to designate special
courts to handle them.

President Buhari said he was in support of the CJN’s action,
saying “the public is awaiting the results of this initiative”.

Some terms of reference of the Justice Suleiman Galadima-led
committee include: “To monitor and regularly evaluate the progress
and activities of courts designated to try corruption an
financial/economic crime cases;

“Advise on Practice Directions for approval by the Chief Justice
of Nigeria to be applicable in all such courts across the country
with a view to eliminating procedural and administrative
bottlenecks militating against speedy disposal of such cases;

“Advise on the trainings, re-trainings and other refresher
programmes for Judges and staff of the designated courts aimed at
enhancing their capacities to function effectively;

“Come up with an effective feedback mechanism from Heads of
Courts to the Council on the activities and progress of cases
before designated courts;

Likewise to, “Generally advise Council on the day-to-day
strategies for the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of
the designated courts and on strategies for improvement in
performance”.