A group, the Prisoners' Rehabilitation and Welfare and Action (PRAWA) has condemned the scuffle that occured at the Federal High Court...
A group, the Prisoners' Rehabilitation and Welfare and Action (PRAWA) has condemned the scuffle that occured at the Federal High Court, Lagos on Tuesday between officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and Department of State Security (DSS).
The scuffed occured over which agency gets the custody of a former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo, had granted Emefiele bail and remanded him in the custody of the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the satisfaction of his bail.
But the DSS operatives had insisted that they had orders to take Emefiele back into their custody, notwithstanding the court order.
PRAWA in a statement issued yesterday by its Executive Director, Dr Uju Agomoh has therefore called for urgent investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident and punishment of erring officers.
"The scuffle at the Federal High Court was a shameful case of inter-agency conflict and rivalry which
has no basis to happen in the first instance because the order of the court is clear on which agency should take responsibility of keepng the defendant pending his meeting the bail
conditions.
"Secondly the laws of this country are clear on the responsibilities of the different agencies of the criminal justice system. The question is why was the order of the court disobeyed?
Why go against the laws of the land?
"The clear show of contempt and disrespect to the order of the court portends serious danger and Ngerian Citizens are called to speak-up in condemnation of this evil wind that has the potentiality of destroying all that we hold dear to us."
PRAWA said the unwarranted show of physical powers, overzealousness and the consequential desecration
of the court premises by the two agencies have several negative implications.
"It is a direct affront to the rule of law, gross display of impunity and a clear indication of disdain for all that our criminal justice system
stand for and must not go unpunished.
"There s no plausible excuse for this public display of lack of professionalism and invitation to mockery and ridicule of our dear country in the committee of
nations.
"We must call to mind the political, social and economic implications of this reprehensible incidence and the possible loss of trust and confidence in the Nigerian system by Nigerians and by foreign investors at this point in the history of our dear nation.
"There is really need for deep
reflection by institutions of government', the group said.
Dr Agomoh also said that there was need for law enforcement and security agencies to acknowledge the limits of their powers, respect rule of law and human rights and draw lines between ‘prosecution’ and ‘persecution’ of suspects and defendants.
The group said the Federal High Court , Lagos incident is a clear confirmation of the perennial challenge of lack of collaboration and poor coordination among the agencies of the criminal justice system which has remained a regular cause of inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the deivery of criminal justice in Nigeria.
"Cooperation and coordination of agencies of the criminal justice system is critical to the delivery
of criminal justice and a well-managed criminal justice system enables peace, safety, security,
progress and development of the nation.
"It is really paradoxical and obvious natonal tragedy for
an agency of government to undermne the whole essence of the system that established it", the group said.
No comments