President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, identified frivolous appeals, alleged intimidation of judges by lawyers, and judgments delivered on grounds of technicalities as some of the major challenges impeding the war against corruption in Nigeria.
Tinubu therefore said only a halt to these factors will help contain hurdles to the speedy adjudication of corruption cases.
He spoke at the opening of the 6th Economic and Financial Crimes Commission/National Judicial Institute Capacity Building Workshop for Justices and Judges at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja.
Represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President, however, acknowledged that prosecution of corruption cases had improved remarkably, following the justice sector reforms in the past few years.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed on Monday titled, ‘President Tinubu to judiciary: Anti-graft war won’t be won by technicalities, frivolous appeals.’
He described the capacity-building workshop as a platform to collectively speak out against Nigeria’s common enemy, corruption.
While delivering the President’s speech at the event, Shettima stated: “There is no gainsaying the fact that the judiciary is central to the success of the anticorruption efforts. The commitment, courage, and patriotism of judicial officers make the difference in the fight against corruption.
“Though I am aware that prosecution of corruption matters has improved in the light of the justice sector reforms in the last few years, we are not oblivious of some challenges that continue to impede the speedy adjudication of corruption cases.
“They include frivolous applications and appeals meant to delay trials, intimidation of judges by counsel, and judgment based not on the facts of cases but on technicalities.”
President Tinubu explained that “corruption is a cancer which continues to deny the nation the full benefits of her God-given resources,” even as he maintained that only the enlightened collective interest of all Nigerians “to close ranks and aggressively tackle this common enemy” can make the difference, instead of looking up “to only the anti-corruption agencies for solutions to this malaise.”
He observed that technological advancements had increased the complexity of financial crimes beyond the scope of current jurisprudence, citing the emergence of virtual assets, which he said “have occasioned an upsurge in cryptocurrency fraud.”
The President urged the judiciary to ensure that the courts have the required knowledge to handle cases involving these new forms of crime.
“As an administration, we remain committed to creating the right environment for judicial officers to discharge their responsibilities.
“One of the major actions of the government within the first year of my administration was improving the welfare of judges across the board with an increase in their remuneration.
“Official accommodation is also being provided for various categories of judicial officers in highbrow areas of the Federal Capital Territory,” he stated.
