Tina Amanda
The Nigerian Police Force has been urged to forward case files from the Police Stations to the State Attorney General’s office as provided in the Administration of Criminal Justice Law ACJL to avoid unnecessary delays of case files at the Magistrate court.
Lead Advocate, Civic Space Watch Cluster, Rivers State and Vice Chairman Nigeria Bar Association Rivers State, Barrister Emmanuel Okpala, stated this during an ACJL sensitization and learning forum organized by Civic Space in Port Harcourt.
He noted following the ACJL law, case files are not to be directed to a Magistrate court that has no jurisdiction before it gets to the Attorney general.
“The Civic Space Watch Cluster of Rivers State has severally gone on advocacy to some Police Divisions to sensitize them on the provisions of ACJL law, and the implementation of it to make sure each officer working in a Police station has the ACJL law is reading the law and is conversant with it.
“We had also told them that they have the right to forward case files directly from the Police station to the Attorney general because this particular issue was provided for in the ACJL to avoid unnecessary delays of case files going to Magistrate court that have no jurisdiction before it gets to the Attorney general.
“The Administration of Criminal Justice Law was enacted to ensure speedy investigation and trial within timelines; that is why we are advocating on these timelines right now”.
“Okpala also said they have educated some Police Stations and the public that women, by the provisions of ACJL, can stand as sureties or bail suspects.
“We are doing this to enable women to know they have the right to stand as sureties which is the right that has been hitherto denied them.
“We have also intervened in some cases handled in Police Stations. We intervened in a gunshot victim where the Police shot the victim twice in the leg, and we were able to get that Police station to treat the victim at the end of the day, pay compensation and tender apology.
“The provisions of Nigeria’s constitution state where rights are violated, the person is entitled to compensation and apology by the offending organization or institution. These are the things we are implementing in Rivers State to protect the rights of people”.
On her part, FIDA Chairperson Rivers State, Adata Bio-Briggs, said the ACJL law have a lot of things easy for them as they now have faster justice for people.
“ACJL has made many things easier for us; we have faster justice for people; it is easy to go to court, finish your criminal matter and leave. There are remand procedures; it is a beautiful law that has helped the criminal justice system”.
