Conduct Investigations Before Arrest, Justice Talba Cautious Anti-Corruption Agencies
Conduct Investigations Before Arrest, Justice Talba Cautious Anti-Corruption Agencies
By Alex Uangbaoje
Justice Abubakar Mahmad Talba of the Abuja High Court has cautioned the Anti-Corruption Agencies in the country not to always be in a hurry in arresting corruption suspects and taking them to court for prosecution, as that is not the best practice in other parts of the world.
In an interview with newsmen during a two-day training workshop on ”Sharing Responsibilities and Building effective partnership: Bridging Civil Society Organizations and State Institutional Gap” organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the framework of the European Union funded project ”Support to Anti-Corruption in Nigeria’’.
Justice Talba said the major challenge in fight against corruption in Nigeria is that the anti-corruption agencies go for arrest of suspects before they commence investigation.
“Most times the problem we do have is the witnesses who should be before the court and the exhibits required, now in developed countries what they do is to investigate, it doesn’t matter what time it takes them to investigate, it might be a year or more.
“The fact is immediately they conclude their investigation, they go for arrest and arraign an accused before a court and most cases you find that maybe a week, two or at best two months to conclude up to judgement.
“But in our own jurisdiction here you find out that the procecurial agencies will first and foremost go for arrest, then investigation. Now it is in the course of investigation they get documents and what is neccesary and you know it will take some time, it depends on the volume and the nature of that offence.
“That is why we have delays, most times the public who do not know might blame the judiciary but certainly it is not the judiciary that has the problem in trial of cases. “
