2040 criminal cases pending in Edo courts – AG,
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – THE Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie has said that not less than 2,040 criminal cases are pending in various courts across the state, while the state government is also handling 253 civil matters involving the state.
This is besides several other responsibilities of the ministry, including the civil litigation department, drafting of bills on behalf of the executive arm of the government, which has presented over 15 bills for the past seven months since Monday Okpebholo’s government came into being, handling of citizens’ rights, among others.
Osagie said all these are handled by the about 100 state counsels which are inadequate, but said Governor Monday Okpebholo would employ more state counsels once the State’s Civil Service Commission is constituted.
He said “No doubt that the ministry needs an additional number of state counsels to help to drive this whole process and get more of these cases handled. At the moment, the number of state counsels we have is a little over hundred and they are unable to cope with the various number of cases, we have approached and we have applied to His Excellency for approval and I am sure that by the time the Civil Service Commission is in place, our request for more state counsels will be addressed.
“By the end of this year, by the time we implement our capital budget, we are sure some of our internal working challenges in respect to our library, setting up our digital space platform, we would have addressed the efficiency that we desire in managing our cases and updating our records for speedy trials and handling of our cases in all courts in the land
“The DPP has a total of 2,040 (two thousand and forty) criminal cases it is prosecuting. In the period under review, the department has received a total of 441 case files from the police, out of which legal opinion has been rendered in respect of 341 cases. A total of 241 cases have been filed in respect of sundry cases excluding rape and defilement, while 87 rape cases have been filed, with no prima facie made in respect of 13 cases, criminal charges in courts across the state.
“These cases many of which are at different stages of trial, relate to various kinds of offences ranging from murder, kidnapping, robbery, arson, malicious damage, assault occasioning harm, cultism, promoting native war, stealing, rape/defilement and others”
On civil litigation, Osagie said there are 21 at the Federal High Court, 27 at the National Industrial Court, 11 at the Court of Appeal and about 10 at the Supreme Court.
“The achievements recorded in these few months are a testament to the dedication, professionalism, and collaborative spirit of our staff across all departments. We remain committed to sustaining and surpassing these milestones, ensuring that the Edo State Ministry of Justice continues to serve as a beacon of justice, fairness, and good governance.”
He commended the Okpebholo administration for creating a conducive environment for them to work and pledged to work in line with his vision for the state.
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By Ozioruva Aliu BENIN CITY – THE Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie has said that not less than 2,040 criminal cases are pending in various courts across the state, while the state government is also handling 253 civil matters involving the state. This is besides several other responsibilities of […]
The post 2040 criminal cases pending in Edo courts – AG appeared first on Vanguard News.
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