Perceived Inefficiency and lack of proper coordination between the office of Niger State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), and the legal unit of the state Police Command has disrupted the ongoing visit by the State Chief Judge, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik to the correctional facilities in parts of the state.
The Chief Judge who was at the old Minna Medium Security Correctional facility as part of her ongoing visit to the Correctional Centres with the view to decongest the facilities, expressed disappointment with the way and manner the DPP and the Police Legal department were allegedly subjecting inmates into unnecessary delay leading to incarceration without taking them to court for prosecution.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE further gathered that the two critical stakeholders in the administration of criminal Justice in the state have been at crossroads between themselves as they both continue to apportion blame to one another on the transmission of case files of inmates awaiting trial.
The Legal Unit of the state Criminals Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) will claim that case files of inmates have been forwarded to the office of the DPP for legal advice but the latter would also claim that such files could not be traced in his records.
Further checks revealed that most of the inmates at the correctional custody have been languishing in the facility without being taken to court allegedly as a result of the inefficiency/inexperience of both the DPP and the Investigating Police Officers (IPOs) that were said to have deliberately refused to forward their case files to the state ministry of Justice for legal opinion.
Justice Abdulmalik, who expressed concern over the lack of synergy/ cooperation between the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the state Ministry of Justice and the legal unit of the state Police Command, the chief judge, however, described the trend as unfortunate and worrisome.
“Something is wrong, if you the Director of Public Prosecution has no good working synergy with the office of the head of the legal unit of the police, this is a call for concern.” She told the DPP.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE further gathered that most of the culpable homicide cases and other capital offences suspects awaiting trials at the Custodial facilities have been languishing in the facilities for over four years without their case files being traced to the office of the DPP for legal advice.
According to the head of the Legal Aid Council (LAC) in Niger state, Mrs. Bolanle Jibogun, some of the inmates have been in the correctional facility since last November when the Chief Judge paid an official visit to the Custodial centre during her maiden visit.
Mrs. Jibogun who reminded the state Chief Judge of some of the inmates that she directed the DPP and the head of the prosecutors of the state Police Command, Mr. Abdullahi Mayaki, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to hasten the transformation of the case files of these inmates to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice, “they refused to comply with your directive since your November’s visit to this place.”
“My Lord in my own opinion, if they cannot trace their case files, it means they are not ready to continue with their cases.
“For these inmates to continue to remain in detention without their case files either in the legal unit of the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) or to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution, I suggest that my Lord you should either discharge them or you should admit them on bail in liberal terms,” Jibogun told the Chief Judge in an emotional ladened voice.
Meanwhile, the state Chief Judge, Justice Abdulmalik, who could not hide her displeasure on the conduct of the state Director of Public Prosecution, said, “It is apparent that there is no coordination in your office as the Director of Public Prosecution( DPP) in the state ministry of Justice.”
