Restrict EFCC to Investigations, Decentralise Police, Agbakoba Tells New AGF

Wale Igbintade

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba has called on the new Attorney General of Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to unbundle the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and restrict it to investigations.

Agbakoba, in a statement issued yesterday, highlighted the tasks ahead of the newly inaugurated AGF, reiterating the need for major reforms in the criminal justice system.

He also recommended that prosecution be handled by a newly established National Prosecution Agency.

He stated that the, “utter confusion in the duplicated work of our law enforcement agencies in particular EFCC and ICPC is urgently needed.”

While expressing his confidence in the abilities of the new AGF, Agbakoba also noted other key reforms to include a complete decentralised Police Force at local state and Federal levels, a major revamp of outdated laws and the necessity for a speed of justice reform.

The statement titled “Urgent Tasks For the Attorney General Of The Federation,” read: “There are pressing tasks to be carried out urgently by the new Attorney General of the Federation. Major reforms of the criminal justice system with particular reference to the utter confusion in the duplicated work of our law enforcement agencies in particular EFCC and ICPC is urgently needed.

“Also there is need to unbundle EFCC and restrict them to investigation only while a new National Prosecution Agency ought to be established.

“Another key reform would be a complete decentralised Police Force at local state and Federal levels. Major revamp of our outdated laws is urgently needed to follow the Rwanda example that modified 1000 laws. Last but not least the AGF must work on Speed of Justice.

“It’s a crying shame it takes upwards of 15 years to conclude cases from the High court to the Supreme Court.

“Finally but not exhausted is to create sector specific dispute resolution Agencies to free up the utterly cluttered dockets of the regular courts.

“The other very important task before the Attorney General will be the unnecessary and wholly inefficient matter of over centralization of our superior courts. There is no better time than now to hack down the highly centralised court systems in Nigeria.

“The AGF is invited to consider major constitutional amendments to create a system of federal and state courts. State courts ought to have exclusive jurisdiction over matters related to them. This is also the case for federal courts whose jurisdiction must be limited to federal causes.

“This will free up the clutter at the Supreme Court and make it the Policy Court it ought to be in the first place

“We have a Brilliant AGF in Lateef Fagbemi SAN. Am convinced this will be a simple task for him. He is a very good colleague and I have the highest confidence in his abilities.”