By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Anambra State Police Command has unveiled plans to partner and collaborate with the state Ministry of Justice to ensure prompt trial of cases, granting of bails and speedy dispensation of Justice so as to decongest Correctional Centres across the state.

Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Aderemi Adeoye, made this known during a courtesy visit to the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Sylvia Chika Ifemeje, over the weekend.

Adeoye said that strategic plans were already in place to ensure that issues of illegal detentions and long awaiting trials in custody were addressed such that only suspects involved in very serious cases of capital offences which would warrant jail terms if decided by courts of competent jurisdictions would remain in detention.

“Henceforth, suspects awaiting trial will not be denied their fundamental human rights, which the collaboration seeks to achieve. There will be speedy dispensation of justice, obtaining legal advice for cases investigated, speedy arraignments and prosecutions, decongesting inmates on awaiting trial list as well as inmates awaiting arraignments.

“Police are no longer allowed to arraign suspects for capital offences at the Magistrate Court level.

“Capital offences are treated only at the High Court. The Commissioner for Justice has proposed to have an understanding with the State Chief Judge in order to explore the possibility of having dedicated courts, even during vacations, to hear cases, decide on those that can be granted bail immediately and then assign those with adequate evidence for trial and prosecution,” Adeoye said.

While describing the State Attorney-General as a seasoned administrator of criminal justice, the Anambra Police boss explained the implication to be that, even where trial is not ongoing immediately, bail can be granted because the courts handling the cases are those that have jurisdiction to try them, even though he said such feature was absent at the Magistrate Court level.

He further expressed optimism that the collaboration would achieve speedy arraignments to enable people enjoy their fundamental human rights, adding that even suspects accused of grievous crimes are presumed innocent until convicted.

CP Adeoye noted that the Police would not want innocent citizens to undergo rigours of imprisonment before trials.

Responding, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Sylvia Chika Ifemeje, said the collaboration was about how to move Anambra State to the next level in terms of security and social harmony.

He explained that they have arrived at a strategy on how to decongest prisons across the state, beginning with the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) and prison cells in Amawbia, Awka-South local government area.

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