SARAKI: Nigeria’s criminal justice system flawed, needs UN help –SERAP

Sequel to the Code of Conduct Tribunal acquittal of Senate President Bukola Saraki of wrongdoings in the alleged asset declaration fraud case leveled against him by the Federal Government, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has doubted the efficiency of criminal justice system in Nigeria.

While it said that the acquittal of the Senate President of any corruption suggests serious shortcomings in the country’s criminal justice system, SERAP canvassed that a “UN-backed commission against corruption and impunity in Nigeria is urgently needed to achieve President Muhammadu Buhari’s oft-stated anti-corruption agenda.”

According to SERAP, the commission will serve as a complementary and supportive mechanism to fight crime in the country.

This was contained in a statement the organization released and signed by its deputy director, Timothy Adewale, calling on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to “urgently and proactively pursue the establishment of a UN-backed International Commission Against Corruption and Impunity to assist our criminal justice system to effectively and efficiently investigate and prosecute high-level corruption cases in the country.”

He added, “Like it happened in Guatemala, this government needs help in its fight against corruption, and strong leadership is now needed to urgently design a complementary and supportive plan.”

Part of the statement read, “The acquittal of Mr Saraki has exposed deep flaws in the country’s legal framework against corruption, and seriously weakened any notion of accountability of high-ranking public officials accused of corruption.

“A UN-backed commission would help to improve our criminal justice system in the short, medium and long terms so that it would be better able to prosecute complex grand corruption cases. It would also meet the longstanding and legitimate demands of the Nigerian people for vigorous and meaningful action against corrupt leaders, past or present.

“Supporting a strong partnership between Nigerian prosecutors and international law enforcement experts would show that the authorities have the ability and political will to chip away at the country’s corruption and impunity of perpetrators, and help address Nigerians’ scepticism about the viability of the anti-corruption agenda.

Read also: Freedom at last? CCT dismisses all 18 charges against Saraki

“Further, to end a culture of corruption and impunity of perpetrators, we urge the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN to urgently take over the prosecution of the corruption case against Mr Saraki by ensuring that the CCT decision is urgently appealed and that the case is diligently prosecuted within the limits of the rule of law.”

President Muhammadu Buhari’s much mouthed fight against corruption has continued to meet defeat as several persons it accused of corruption have had their cases withdrawn, dismissed or discharged and acquitted by the courts.

Among cases the Federal Government failed to get a conviction against those it accused of corruption include Saraki-Ekweremadu vs FG, withdrawn; FG against Godsday Orubebe, defendant discharged and acquitted; FG against Justice Adeniyi Ademola, discharged and acquitted; FG against Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the lawyer won; FG against Patience Jonathan, the former First Lady emerged triumphant; Orubebe against FG at Appeal Court over CCT conviction, Orubebe again won and FG against Saraki at the CCT, the FG again, was floored.

However, the Federal Government has appealed some of the cases it lost.

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