The Federal Government has begun moves to establish special courts to try corruption-related cases as part of the efforts to fight graft in the country.

Saturday PUNCH’s investigations on Friday revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was opting for a comprehensive onslaught against the problem of corruption in the country.

It was learnt that the President had concluded plans to submit a bill on the planned special anti-corruption courts to the National Assembly.

The PUNCH had on Monday exclusively reported that the Presidency had commenced the process of identifying fearless judges that would be saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting corrupt persons.

It was also gathered that the Federal Government was planning to establish 37 of the Special Courts to try corruption in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and the 36 states of the Federation.

A top operative of one of the anti-graft agencies, who confided in one of our correspondents, said that the Federal Government decided to set up the planned special courts because of the long delay by regular courts in deciding corruption-related cases.

It was further gathered that the President recently made a demand for 36 judges with the requisite integrity and boldness to decide cases in line with the law and not according to influence of the people or the pecuniary gains that come with associating with them.

The anti-graft officer said, “The President is being careful; he does not want people to do a wishy-washy job for him.

“Buhari is pressing for the establishment of special courts to try corruption cases. He wants the courts to be established in Abuja and the 36 states of the federation so that they can fast-track such cases.”

Investigations further revealed that the Federal Government had contacted the National Judicial Council to provide judges with impeccable reputation to preside over the planned courts.

It was gathered that the NJC released the names of 100 judges from the 36 states of the federation to the leadership of three major anti-corruption bodies in the country after an internal process of selection.

The judges were screened by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission and the Department of State Security on Tuesday.

It was gathered that the focus of the on-going screening exercise is to identify judges with a passion for the law and the constitution rather than deference to personalities.

The officer stated, “On Tuesday, the NJC forwarded the list of 100 judges to the anti-corruption agencies for screening. The exercise is meant to select the judges for the special courts the President is moving to establish to try corruption cases.

“The plan is to get judges that are bold, courageous, and fearless. Many of them must have delivered sound judgements (in the past). They don’t want those who play to the gallery.

“The screening exercise is very intensive; they are passing through the NJC that has the list of all the judges. When the NJC is through with its screening, it passes the list of the judges to security operatives and the anti-graft agencies to continue with the investigation.

“And because this is a democracy, they have to go through acceptable legal channels; they have to amend the constitution to set up these courts. They want to start with speed; even the legislatures have to be involved to amend the constitution.”

It was also learnt that the anti-graft agencies screened the judges by doing background checks on them, particularly looking at their history at the bench.

The source said, “We are working on the information we got about them (the judges). There are those who have been compromised in the past, who will not be part of the arrangement.”

But the anti-corruption agencies are not saying much about the on-going screening exercise, which is said to have entered its second phase.

When our correspondent contacted the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on the telephone on Friday, he said that he was not aware of it.

“I am not aware of the exercise you are talking about,” he said.

Similarly, the Resident Consultant, Media and events of the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said that he could not comment on the story, when contacted.

“I can’t comment on it,” he said.

Also, the Acting Director, Information, National Judicial Council, Mr. Soji Oye, said he was not aware of any plan to create special corruption courts.

It will be recalled that the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had in 2012, when he was being screened by the Senate, called for the establishment of special courts for corruption cases.

He had said, “The reason for the clamour for special courts for certain cases has to do with the processes of law. Judges have corrupt cases and other cases to attend to, but if we have special courts for corruption cases, it would facilitate the process. I don’t think it will be too much to ask that a special court be dedicated to corruption cases.”

Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, and Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, described the plan to create special courts to handle corruption cases as a welcome development.

But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Nwobike, described the establishment of such courts as needless.

Keyamo, however, urged the government to put certain resources and laws in place for such special courts to achieve their intended goals.

He said, “Establishment of special courts will not solve the entire problem of anti-corruption cases and it will not solve all the problems of criminal cases. But it will go a long way if the courts are well equipped and have rules that will help fast track such cases.

“Special courts will not address the integrity of judges that will be sitting there. It is a welcome development and government should go ahead to establish them but some things should be put in place for the courts to achieve the intended goals.”

Adeniran also described the establishment of special corruption courts as desirable. He said such courts would help in quick determination of corruption cases.

He said, “It is desirable to the extent that it will hasten up the adjudication on corruption cases and will make it easier for the judges to handle.”

But Nwobike said that instead of creating special courts, government should focus on capacity building to enhance the competence of investigators and prosecutors.

He said, “It is needless. It will amount to waste of judicial resources to set up special courts to try corruption cases.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-to-set-up-special-courts-for-looters/

Who is that Dullard trying to fool?? Let him probe amaechi and tinubu, then he can establish whatever court he wants to establish.

Meanwhile I dedicate this space to introvert and Lady F. Dont loose hope, keep trying; u shall make FTC in some other threads; AMEN

Let the existing ones work to full capacity...

The normal court will take ages to conclude on a case which at a point the parties involved in the case might even grow old before the judgement would be passed. If the system will be adopted fully instead only courts for corruption charges it will help to improve our legal system

If my sai buhari continue this way corruption will be a thing of the past. Even the corrupt judges are having sleepiness night knowing fully well that they might be probed on how they got some huge transfers to there bank accounts. It only man with qualities of God that can change this nation for good and my sai buhari is one of them.

My sai buhari will truly change this nation.


Sai buhari.

Sai Buhari. Carry on Mr President..

Any policy that wil fastrack retrieval of our looted common wealth is welcome.

Good. I think that will facilitate his Wife's prosecution in Harlliburton scandal. www.nairaland.com/2543468/buhari-jail-wife-obasanjo-atiku SAI BABA

Let the Government stop speculative governance and start making the moves.

The needed Legislation won't pass until Buhari declares his assets, that of Madam Billionaire, Aisha Buhari publicly and then signs whistle blowers act of 2015 passed on June 10, 2015.

President Buhari should lead the anti-corruption war by dealing with corruption and stealing that are being perpetuated in government offices and agencies as we speak. As at yesterday, bribery and kickbacks are still a culture and ways of doing business in Nigeria.

Mr President, I will forever be indebted to you if government businesses and way of doing business in Nigeria are sanitized. Public Servants no longer attend to their work without mobilization (as if their services are contracts) from everyday Nigerians and the services rendered are mostly unsatisfactory.

IsraeliAIRFORCE:
Let the Government stop speculative governance and start making the moves.

The needed Legislation won't pass until Buhari declares his assets, that of Madam Billionaire, Aisha Buhari publicly and then signs whisthle blowers act of 2015 passed on June 10, 2015.

Sour Grapes.

Buhari Government is a government of mouth action. Garba and Adeshina are most docile abobakus cum praise-singers in the political history of this dubious entity called Zoogeria.

If it's gonna make them sleep well at night...

Talkative.... Instead of "working-talking" he is "walking-talking" around the globe

Too much talk with no action...

We are observing.......

Special indeed! What about special prison sir I think that will be good.

That will ensure speedy trial. No time for dilly dallying. But wait o! Baba has been talking and no action yet o. Abeg start acting jare.... And don't forget. It's almost 100 days and u still haven't declared your assets o. Abeg prove them tanoids wrong and show us that your're a leader and not a politician. Time's going fa

Same news everyday. We need less talk & more action.

FIRE ON, BABA!

PMB should probe anything probable to retrieve our looted funds back from the Ogogoro monkeys !!!

Nigerians need action asap.

This man (PMB) really means business

The special courts will be venues of lots of drama and plenty of mind-boggling revelations, some of which most Nigerians are not even aware of, yet. Hope the judges will be above board in the dispensation of justice.

Anybody who beleives this news needs to have his head examined.The PUNCH newspapers are begining to look like a joke.Even after the spokesmen of both the EFCC and the NJC debunked the story,they still went ahead to publish it.

For the records,Buhari has to power to set up special courts or write to NJC to give him the names of "courageous" Judges which is actually a synonym for APC Judges.

It is only the perogative of the CJN,the NJC and the states CJs to assign cases to Judges

#APCpropaganda
War against corruption: Buhari set to establish special police, special EFCC, special ICPC, special prisons and especially special Nigerians - Liar Mohammed

lol

such special court should NOT be allowed because crimin courts already exist in Nigeria. Its attempt to manipulate and dictatate to judges what should be done. Its comlete whichunting , its dictatorial, its anarchy. Its attempt to be the complainant and at the same time the judge througj the backdoor. If buhari is siNncere, why special court when criminal courts exist. Its even an indictment od the judiciary, which makes the arm look incompetent. Certainly our president is cnfused by mooling the idea of special courts. He wants to put a pupet there and at the same time forced a sentence of guilt and equally didctate punisment. Its no more democracy and i think all CSO SHOULD RISE UP AGAINST THIS AUTOCRATISM

The era of trump up charges are back people will now spend 300 yrs in prison and when they die thier children will inharit the jail term remained by thier parents.zombie way of life.

I wondered why this government is considering the idea of establishing a special court to probe looters rather than to fast tracking or strengthen the existing judicial process. What then is the work of the judiciary? Hope the president is not planning to take us back to 1983, where decree was used to jail some innocent Nigerians.

well done sai baba.

chukwudi44:
Anybody who beleives this news needs to have his head examined.The PUNCH newspapers are begining to look like a joke.Even after the spokesmen of both the EFCC and the NJC debunked the story,they still went ahead to publish it.
For the records,Buhari has to power to set up special courts or write to NJC to give him the names of "courageous" Judges which is actually a synonym for APC Judges.
It is only the perogative of the CJN,the NJC and the states CJs to assign cases to Judges

bros me I don't understand u anymore o...any news agency that speaks about progress in this government is manipulated to you...ur own version of hate na something else...