Sagay, Falana, others on how law combats corruption

Legal luminaries and Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Prof. Itse Sagay and Femi Falana, among other eminent personalities have suggested ways through which legal frameworks could be used to combat the menace of corruption in the country.  The legal practitioners made these known while speaking at the at the Roundtable ‎discussion organised by the Department of […]

Legal luminaries and Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Prof. Itse Sagay and Femi Falana, among other eminent personalities have suggested ways through which legal frameworks could be used to combat the menace of corruption in the country.
 The legal practitioners made these known while speaking at the at the Roundtable ‎discussion organised by the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG) on the topic “Winning the War Against Corruption”.
According to Sagay who was the chairman of the event, continuous implementation of the 2015 Administration of Criminal Justice Act will go a long way in taming the menace of corruption as there are provisions which make it difficult for alleged offenders to stall trial by seeking frivolous injunctions.
The rights activist further suggested that the proposed court will specifically handle cases of corruption, terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, advance fee fraud and other economic crimes.
He said judges of the court should be carefully selected to ensure that they are manned by those with integrity while ensuring that each corruption case shall be heard and concluded by the trial court in 180 days. He added that all appeals arising from the judgment should be heard and determined in three months.
Another lawyer and former president, Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), Ayo Obe, however, expressed reservation on the need to create special courts to try corruption cases, saying the government can adopt technology capable of preventing corrupt practices especially among its officials.
The gathering also witnessed the launch of a book “Legal Perspectives to Corruption, Money Laundering and Assets Recovery in Nigeria”.
 It is co-authored by many legal scholars.