Lagos won’t stop police prosecutors at magistrates’ courts – Onigbanjo

The Attorney General of Lagos State and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), has said the state has no plan to stop policemen from prosecuting cases at the magistrates’ courts in the state.

The attorney general said there was no law in Lagos State that bars police prosecutors from handling cases at the magistrates’ court.

The Deputy Director of Public Affairs in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mr. Kayode Oyekanmi, quoted Onigbanjo to have said this in a statement.

The attorney general, according to the statement, was reacting to “the current clamour by some non-governmental organisations and stakeholders to stop police prosecution of criminal matters in magistrates’ courts in accordance with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.”

The statement read, “The ministry wishes to clearly state that the ACJA does not apply to Lagos State. Furthermore, there is no provision of any law barring the police from the prosecution of criminal matters in magistrates’ courts in Lagos State. As such, the provision of the law in Lagos State, as it stands, does not bar the police from the prosecution of matters in the magistrates’ courts.

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“However, the Ministry of Justice is always willing to investigate any issue that would improve administration of justice in the state.

“As a result, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), had directed the setting up of a committee to look into the matter and advise accordingly.”

Oyekanmi said the committee would be chaired by a former Solicitor-General in Lagos State, Mr Fola Arthur-Worrey; while its members are the current Lagos State Solicitor-General, Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey; the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Y. G. Oshoala; Lawson Coker; Bayo Akinlade; Rukayat Owolabi; and Arinola Ayokanmbi.

Credit: Punch