As part of efforts to ensure speedy dispensation of Justice as promised by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has concluded plans to train Police Prosecutors quarterly on the technics of effective investigation.
The Director, Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Olayinka Adeyemi, disclosed this during the three-day working visit by a delegation from Kaduna State Ministry of Justice to understudy the working patterns of Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
Adeyemi, who led the delegates on a tour to one of the State District Prosecutors Office at Samuel Ilori Magistrate Court, Ogba, noted that the District Prosecutors Office was established to sift cases brought in by Investigating Police Prosecutors (IPO’s) before charging them to Magistrate Courts.
While speaking on the challenges faced with the Judiciary, she said that the Judiciary needs to always investigate petitions against magistrates and address the issue of delay in dispensation of Justice through appropriate disciplinary measures.
In his remarks, Magistrate Lateef Owolabi, who stood-in for the Chief Magistrate of Samuel Ilori Magistrate Court, Ogba, acknowledged that the introduction of Resident District Public Prosecutors in Magistrate courts has helped to scrutinise and sift through every charge brought to the Court, while it had also helped to eliminate unnecessary and frivolous allegations.
Speaking on the decongested Correctional Centres in the State, Owolabi said, “The Honourable Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, has created a platform where discussions are held to address the decongestion of Correctional Centres since it is a major problem in the administration of Justice in Lagos.
The Magistrate, however, urged the leader of the delegation, Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Kaduna State, Mr. Chris Adapar Umar, to key into the project and the idea of decongesting the Correctional Centres by applying various strategies to solve the problem.