Buhari group says Special Courts will give Nigeria more bite to fight against corruption

…Insist insecurity has reduced nationwide

When the Special Crimes Court Bill successfully scales through at the National Assembly, Nigeria will be set on a path to take on corruption in a more vigorous way, with more manifest results and a renewed sanity that will impact the system.

According to the Buhari Media Organization (BMO), the Special Crimes Court Bill “would be revolutionary, if and when passed. It would hit at the heart of the fight against corruption, and that is efficiency and speedy trials. We would now see better and more tactical adjudication on matters pertaining to corruption. The era of delays, midwifed by needless technicalities and the slow grinding of our legal system would begin to give way.”

This is even as the group says Nigeria is experiencing a significant improvement in its security situation with a noticeable drop in the rate of killings, abductions, terrorist attacks and banditry.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the group noted that it was eager for the National Assembly to quickly pass the Special Crimes Court Bill which the President had sent a while back, as the creation of these courts would improve, in the most drastic manner, how Nigeria is fighting corruption.

 “Nigerians have been clamouring for better results in the fight against corruption. The President Buhari administration had campaigned that it would tackle this menace, and it has done very well, though more can be achieved if the institutional strengthening is provided through stronger laws, better institutions and a calibrated workforce.

 “Fighting corruption has become more daunting due to complexities and technicalities of our legal system, and the burden of so many cases in our courts. It is important that for us to tackle corruption successfully, that the system is fine-tuned to adequately address corruption and other specialised crimes as unique entities distinct from other criminal matters. This is what the Special Crimes Bill seeks to do.

 “With Special Crimes courts, the slow grinding wheel of justice would be boosted, and Nigerians will see faster and more efficient adjudication of criminal matters. A thing that they have been eager for.”

BMO stated that the setting up of Courts that would handle specialised matters, especially corruption-related cases, is not unprecedented, citing examples of Philippines, Uganda, Mexico, Pakistan, Croatia, Kenya, Slovakia among others, the group noted that due to the impact of corruption, its many forms and the wealth of its beneficiaries, societies must reinvent their justice systems for better delivery in tackling corruption.

Speaking on the reduction of in the country, the BMO noted that the drop in criminal activities is due to the determination and grit of the security forces who have been able to apprehend most of the criminal elements making the country unsafe.

“In the past few months, there was hardly any report of kidnappings along the Kaduna – Abuja expressway, also in Zamfara and Katsina states, there have not been much report of kidnappings or killings by bandits. Several arrests of top kingpins perpetrating the evil were made in the last six months.

 “In the North East, where the Nigerian Military is doing a great job in the battle against the terrorist group, Boko Haram, it has been reports of one success after another. On a daily basis, there have been stories of surrender by Boko Haram fighters, the rescue of those in their captivity, and conquests by the Nigerian Military. Only in very rare cases do we hear of successful ambush or attacks against our forces.

 “These are worthy of commendation and we must state that the Security agencies have done well.”

BMO observed that the improved security can also be traced to the fact that elections are over and politicians who had been sponsoring violence had lost out in the polls and retreated.

 “The drop in banditry and kidnapping cannot be disconnected also from the fact that elections are over, the courts have given their judgments, and losing politicians have run off with their tails between their legs.

 “We recall that during the elections some politicians were accused by the Armed Forces of being behind the spike in insecurity. It appears that they were doing all within their means to make the country ungovernable and to give the government a bad name. Thankfully the government did not succumb but dealt decisively with the matter and brought the perpetrators to book.

 “We strongly urge the Nigerian Security Agencies to spare no one and bring every political figure and sponsor of violence to justice. They may have run back to their caves to conspire, our security agents must track them wherever these hideouts may be, flush them out and bring them to book.”

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