Chief Judge bars magistrates from granting remanding orders to Efcc.

Chief Judge bars magistrates from granting remanding orders to Efcc.

The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello, has ordered
magistrates in the FCT to desist forthwith from
granting remand orders to the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had relied on FCT Magistrates' Courts
for remand warrants to justify its continued
detention of suspects being investigated for
corruption and other economic crimes.
The commission said last week it had obtained a
detention warrant from a Magistrates' Court in
the FCT to enable it keep the National Publicity
Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Olisa Metuh, in its custody pending the conclusion
of its investigation.
Justice Bello gave the directive during his visit to
the Keffi Medium prison in Keffi, Nasarawa State,
on Tuesday.
The Chief Judge, who expressed concern over the
large number of the awaiting trial inmates in the
prison, also barred Magistrates' Courts from
entertaining cases on capital offences, including
armed robbery and murder.
"Let me also use this opportunity to say this. I
understand that EFCC has been bringing some
cases to you and you have been granting them
remand orders. You must no longer do this from
today.
"You must not arraign people for offences such
armed robbery, murder and other capital offences
before magistrates' courts which they don't have
competence to handle," the Chief Judge said.
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