Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, has said that lack of political will hinders the prosecution of high profile corruption cases in the country.
In a statement by Justice Mohammed’s media aide, Mr. Ahuraka Isah, the CJN said this during a meeting with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside other Justices of the Supreme Court and the heads of federal courts.
He said “Experience within the judiciary shows that there is an abject lack of political will to prosecute some of those cases pending before our various courts, almost a decade in some instances.
“It is not because there are no special courts, but mostly for reasons of political expedience and other ancillary considerations.”
Justice Mohammed asked the AGF to recruit more lawyers, who should be adequately trained to handle more cases on behalf of the Federal Government so as to create “a reservoir of highly trained, public-spirited lawyers to feed the Bench and the Bar.”
He added that “I would likewise wish to encourage you (AGF) to display a greater resolve than your predecessors in tackling outstanding cases before the courts. In times past, the Attorney-General of the Federation would often lead teams of legal counsel in high profile cases so as to demonstrate the resolve of the government to enshrine the rule of law.”
“Sadly, recent Attorney-Generals have become less inclined to do this. I would certainly like to see you as the Attorney-General appear before us, especially in cases of important national purporse.”