Justice Mayaki visits Correctional Centre, challenges Police officers on prompt prosecution of criminal offences

By Uthman Mijinyawa, Minna

The Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Mohammed Aliyu Mayaki has challenged all stakeholders in the administration of Criminal Justice to put the fear of God at heart in the discharge of their duties.

He stated that all the people saddled with the responsibility of administering Justice should always remember that they will be accountable to all their deed here on earth and hereafter.

Speaking during his visit to Suleja Correctional Centre as part of his ongoing visits to decongest custodian Centre across the state, the Chief Judge noted with dismay the way and manner suspects were kept in custodial centre by the police without being taken to court for speedy trial describing the trend as heartless and mindless.

“Magistrates, Judges, Police Prosecutors and the DPP including my self the chief judge, will be answerable to my God before the Lord on the day of final judgement.

“All of us will be hold accountable for our deeds here on earth and hereafter.

“We should do everything within the ambit of the law to do what is expected of us so that people should not suffered unjustly.

“These suspects are presumed innocent until they are found guilty of their offences before the court of law.

“We should put the fear of God in our conducts because, we will also be judged by the Almighty Allah.”

Justice Aliyu Mayaki, decried the unprofessional manner in which the police kept suspects in correctional Centre without taking them to court for proper prosecution.

He urged Police prosecutors and the Investigating Police officers ( IPOs), to work collectively with the Ministry of Justice towards achieving set goals of quick dispensation of administration of Criminal Justice.

However, CAPITAL POST findings at the Correctional Centres in the state revealed that most of the suspects have been languishing in the correctional Centres as a result of deliberate act of the men of the legal department of the State Criminal Investigation Department ( SCID), that refused to charge them to court for proper prosecution in court.

In some cases, some of the suspects were kept in custodial centre for six years without taken them to court for prosecution.

Findings further revealed that most times, the case files of some the suspects could not be traced at the office of the legal department of the SCID and the office of the Director of Public Prosecution ( DPP).

Some of the suspects that were kept in the Centre for over six years without taken them to court over minor offences of theft, house breaking, being in possession of stolen property among others.

Unfortunately, some of the suspects were kept for over six years over minor offences that stipulates six months imprisonment upon conviction.

Speaking earlier, the Comptroller Of Correctional Centre in-charge of Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Prince Mustapha Ilyasu Atta told the Chief Judge that Suleja Correctional Centre has the capacity to accommodate 250 inmates, but now over stressed with 356 inmates stating that the Chief Judge’s visit to the Centre will assist in decongesting the Centre.