FCT magistrates partner police to decongest SARS cell

As part of the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, magistrates in the FCT, on Wednesday, partnered with the FCT Police Command to decongest the Abuja cell of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Chief Magistrate Josephine Ogbaeide led 25 magistrates to inspect the detention facilities of SARS in Abuja. The move […]

As part of the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, magistrates in the FCT, on Wednesday, partnered with the FCT Police Command to decongest the Abuja cell of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Chief Magistrate Josephine Ogbaeide led 25 magistrates to inspect the detention facilities of SARS in Abuja.

The move was against the backdrop of collaboration between Rule of Law and Anti Corruption (RoLAC), programme funded by the European Union (EU) and managed by the British Council.

Alleged offenders such as armed robbers, kidnappers, rapists, car thieves, one -chance suspects, cultists and terrorists are being kept in the SARS cell.

Ogbaeide said the magistrates’ concern was to make the society a better place, adding that the police and the magistrates were in partnership for a better country and the FCT.

She said some of the alleged criminals kept at the police cell were innocent, and added that there was no basis for keeping them beyond the required 48 hours without charging them to court.

“The people kept in the cell are our brothers and sisters, they are not from South Africa; it is expedient for us to charge them to court immediately,’’ she said.

She added that the magistrates deemed it fit to inspect the police cell to see how it could be decongested, adding that they also needed to ensure some of the cases were within their jurisdiction.

Mr. Abdulyari Lafia, the FCT Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of investigation, said the police were in partnership with ACJA.

Mr. Lafia said the police had nothing to hide.

Lafia said he deemed it necessary to come in person to welcome the magistrates and lay bare some of the challenges they were confronted with.

He further said, “You need to assist us to make our job easier, ACJA is not an easy thing on the part of police but with the support of magistrates, our job will be made easy,” he said. (NAN)