Osinbajo to inaugurate prosecution committee

The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), will on Friday inaugurate the National Prosecution Coordination Committee, which is charged with the responsibility handling high profile, public interest cases.

The Spokesperson for the committee, Salihu Isah, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

Isah, who is also the Media Adviser to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), said Osinbajo would inaugurate the committee on Friday at the Presidential Villa.

He said the committee, comprising 19 members, had the mandate of ensuring “the efficient, effective and result-oriented prosecution of high profile criminal cases in the country.”

According to him, the committee is also to guarantee “prompt contact and synergy between investigators and the prosecutors of high profile criminal cases”.

The committee is also to manage the information getting to the public on such cases as well as ensure strict compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

Isah said the NPCC would also be expected to advise the Attorney-General of the Federation on the exercise of his prosecutorial powers provided for in Section 150 and 174 of the 1999 Constitution.
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He said it would also prepare the document on policy strategy for the coordination of investigations and prosecutions of high profile criminal cases in Nigeria and to also collate the list of such cases as well as assign them to prosecution teams.

Isah added, “The committee will scrutinise the proof of evidence and charges in high profile criminal cases in the country before arraignment. In addition, it will receive and analyse reports from the investigation and prosecution teams engaged to handle such cases.”

He said the AGF had set up the committee pursuant to the powers vested in his office as the nation’s chief law officer provided for in Section 174(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

“The honourable Attorney General of the Federation is also to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have been instituted by any other authority or person.

“He is equally charged to discontinue at any stage before judgment is delivered any such criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by him or any other authority or person. This is the position of the Constitution,” he added.