Nasarawa Government says it is working out modality that will ensure speedy dispensation of justice in the state.
Mr Labaran Magaji, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, stated this on Tuesday when members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nasarawa State Council, paid him a courtesy visit in Lafia.
Magaji, who decried the high volume of awaiting trial cases in the state, pledged that the planned system would ensure speedy dispensation of criminal cases within a four-week period.
He said his ministry had chosen few cases for experimentation to test its feasibility.
The attorney-general decried the needless adjournment of cases in court, which he attributed to the unwarranted delay in the of administration of justice,
He also attributed it to the attitude of some counsels who formed the habit of filling unnecessary motions and counter motions.
On the congestion of correctional facilities in the state, the commissioner said all hands must be on deck to tackle the menace.
He, however, said that the state government was ready to review cases of inmates detained wrongly with a view to setting them free in line with the law.
He advised members of the public to continue to be law abiding and not being in confrontation with the law, to avoid being arrested and remanded in the custodian facilities.
He also restated his ministry’s commitment to ensuring the full enforcement of all domesticated Acts such as Child Right Law, Anti Kidnapping law, Gender based law among others.
He explained that Gov. Abdullahi Sule had given him the go ahead to activate the enforcement of the laws in order to protect the vulnerable, especially women and children.
According to him, a team of counsels from the ministry is already working to prosecute any person no matter his or her status, who offends the law of the state.
“With my background as a public prosecutor, I will bring my experience to bear to ensure adherence to the rule of law in the state.
“I have served as a public prosecutor for the past 10 years and the ministry under my watch would do its best to ensure due process of the rule of law,” he added.
Magaji added that he had already paid advocacy visit to all the stakeholders in the criminal justice system to ensure that “we work together for the smooth administration of justice in the state.”
He also expressed gratitude to the correspondent’ chapel for the visit and promised to work with journalists to propagate the activities of the ministry.
Earlier, Mr Isaac Ukpoju, Chairman of the chapel congratulated the commissioner on his appointment and urged him to bring his experience to bear in ensuring quick dispensation of justice in the state.
The chairman assured the commissioner of the media’s commitment to effective reportage of the ministry’s activities and the entire state for the benefit of the people.
