The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello, has ordered magistrates in the FCT to stop forthwith from granting remand orders to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Bello gave the directive during a visit to the Keffi Medium prison in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Justice Bello gave the directive during a visit to the Keffi Medium prison in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
The EFCC has been securing warrants from magistrates in Abuja to detain people beyond the 48 hours allowed by the constitution.
By so doing, the commission relied on FCT magistrates for remand warrants to detain suspects being investigated for corruption and other economic crimes.
The commission, last week said it had obtained a detention warrant from a Magistrates' Court in the FCT to enable it keep the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh in its custody pending the conclusion of its investigation.
The Chief Judge, who expressed concern over the high number of the awaiting trial inmates in the prison, also barred Magistrates' Courts from entertaining cases like armed robbery and murder on which they ordinarily lacked the jurisdiction to try.
The Chief Judge, who expressed concern over the high number of the awaiting trial inmates in the prison, also barred Magistrates' Courts from entertaining cases like armed robbery and murder on which they ordinarily lacked the jurisdiction to try.
"Let me also use this opportunity to say this. I understand that EFCC has been bringing some cases to you and you have been granting them remand orders. You must no longer do this from this Thursday.
"You must not arraign people for offences such armed robbery, murder and other capital offences before magistrates' courts which they don't have competence to handle.
"On no account should you (referring to the magistrates at the event) should you take cognizance of cases outside your jurisdiction and which you do not have power to try.
"You must henceforth decline jurisdiction on such cases.m You must not do this as from today," Justice Bello said.
He directed the magistrates, the prison authorities and FCT High Court's Deputy Chief Registrar, Magistrates, Sunday Ochimana to compile all such cases currently before Magistrates' Court in the FCT for him to re-assign to the High Court, which has the jurisdiction to try them.
The judge's position was informed by his realization, while reviews cases of some awaiting trial inmates in the prison, that some of them were charged before Magistrates' Courts for capital offences.
One of such cases was that of Queen Usa, charged with conspiracy and armed robbery. Justice Bello directed that the case be transferred from the Magistrates' Court currently handling to Court 18 of the High Court of FCT.
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