As complaints mount against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over human rights violations, the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello, has ordered magistrates in the FCT to stop granting remand orders to the anti-graft agency with immediate effect.
Justice Bello gave the directive wednesday during a visit to the Keffi Medium Prison in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
The EFCC has been securing warrants from magistrates in Abuja to detain people without arraignment beyond the maximum 48 hours allowed by the constitution.
By so doing, the commission relied on FCT magistrates for remand warrants to detain suspects being investigated for corruption and other economic crimes, especially those linked to the misappropriation of funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under the past administration.
The commission last week said it had obtained a detention warrant from a Magistrates’ Court in the FCT to enable it keep the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Olisa Metuh, in its custody pending the conclusion of its investigation.
The chief judge, who also expressed concern over the high number of inmates awaiting trial in the prison, also barred Magistrates’ Courts from entertaining cases like armed robbery and murder over which they ordinarily lack the jurisdiction to try.
“Let me also use this opportunity to say this: I understand that EFCC has been bringing some cases to you and you have been granting them remand orders. You must no longer do this from today.
“You must not arraign people for offences such as armed robbery, murder and other capital offences before Magistrates’ Courts which you don’t have the competence to handle.
“On no account should you take cognisance of cases outside your jurisdiction and which you do not have power to try.
“You must henceforth decline jurisdiction on such cases. You must not do this as from today,” Justice Bello said.
Source: Thisday; Photo credit: Google