Funke Busari, Lagos
The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has concluded plans to train Police Prosecutors quarterly on the technics of effective investigation.
This disclosure is according to Director, Public Prosecution, DPP, Mrs. Adeyemi Olayinka during a 3-Day working visit by a delegation from Kaduna State Ministry of Justice to understudy the working patterns of Lagos State Ministry of Justice on 25th of March, 2021.
She disclosed this when leading the delegates on a tour to one of the State District Prosecutors Office at Samuel Ilori Magistrate Court, Ogba.
She noted that the District Prosecutors Office was established to sift cases brought in by Investigating Police Prosecutors, IPO’s, before it is charged to Magistrate Courts.
Also Kayode Oyekanmi, the Director of Public Affairs Ministry of Justice stated that development is part of efforts to ensure speedy dispensation of Justice as promised by Governor Sanwo-olu’s administration.
While speaking on the challenges faced with the Judiciary, Director DPP said that the Judiciary ought to include lawyers in the displicinary committee to investigate petitions filed against Magistrate that delays the dispensation of Justice.
In his response to the delegation’s visit, Magistrate Owolabi Lateef who represented the Chief Magistrate, acknowledged that the introduction of Resident District Public Prosecutors in Magistrate courts has helped to scrutinize and sift through every charge brought to the court while it eliminates unnecessary and frivolous allegations.
Speaking on the State decongested Correctional Centres Owolabi noted “the Honorable Chief Judge has created a platform where discussions are made to aid in disentangling the dilemma concerning decongestion of Correctional Centres as this is a major problem in the administration of Justice”.
The Magistrate, however, urged the leader of the delegation, Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Kaduna State, Mr. Chris Adapar Umar to key into the project and the idea of decongesting the Correctional Centres by applying various strategies to solve the problem.
In attendance was the Lagos State Ministry of Justice Director of Public Prosecutions; Mrs. Adeyemi, the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of Kaduna State Ministry of Justice, Mr. Chris Adapar Umar, Director of Public Prosecutions, Kaduna State; Mr. Dari Bayero and the Officer in Charge O/C Legal, Kaduna State; Mr. Martins Danjuma.
