According to Saturday Punch, the Federal Government has begun moves to establish special courts to try corruption-related cases as part of the efforts to fight graft in the country.
Saturday PUNCH’s investigations on Friday revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was opting for a comprehensive onslaught against the problem of corruption in the country.
It was learnt that the President had concluded plans to submit a bill on the planned special anti-corruption courts to the National Assembly.
The PUNCH had on Monday exclusively reported that the Presidency had commenced the process of identifying fearless judges that would be saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting corrupt pert was also gathered that the Federal Government was planning to establish 37 of the Special Courts to try corruption in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and the 36 states of the Federation.
A top operative of one of the anti-graft agencies, who confided in one of Punch correspondents, said that the Federal Government decided to set up the planned special courts because of the long delay by regular courts in deciding corruption-related cases.
It was further gathered that the President recently made a demand for 36 judges with the requisite integrity and boldness to decide cases in line with the law and not according to influence of the people or the pecuniary gains that come with associating with them.
The anti-graft officer said, “The President is being careful; he does not want people to do a wishy-washy job for him.
“Buhari is pressing for the establishment of special courts to try corruption cases. He wants the courts to be established in Abuja and the 36 states of the federation so that they can fast-track such cases.”
Investigations further revealed that the Federal Government had contacted the National Judicial Council to provide judges with impeccable reputation to preside over the planned courts.
It was gathered that the NJC released the names of 100 judges from the 36 states of the federation to the leadership of three major anti-corruption bodies in the country after an internal process of selection.
The judges were screened by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission and the Department of State Security on Tuesday. (Punch)
Yes, this is the right step in the right direction. The President is going to get result with the special courts as the regular courts could not cope with the expected speed of dispensing justice. Some EFCC cases are still pending in these regular courts since the time of Nuhu Ribadu which renders the fight against corruption ineffectual.