Lawyer Decries Persistence Of Holding Charges

A Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner and social crusader, Barrister Jackson Assor has condemned the persistence of holding charges in Nigeria’s criminal prosecution.

Barrister Assor, who was speaking with newsmen Monday described a situation, where (suspects)) accused persons, where charged in the wrong courts pending the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution as unconstitutional and an unwholesome victimisation of an accused person who had not been proved guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The lawyer said that by the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, a person is presumed innocent until proven otherwise by a court of law.

He expressed regrets that despite efforts by government to ensure speedy trials of accused persons, nothing had changed yet.

He remarked that it was deplorable for mere accused persons to spend more them two years in prison custody while awaiting trial.

According to him, “justice delayed is justice denied. Some times the police trump up charges to victimise accused persons and charge them to courts that have no jurisdiction on such crimes.

Government must do something urgently to ensure that this unwholesome practice stops”.

Barrister Assor pointed out that the police and the office of the DPP must work concertedly to ensure that accused persons have access to justice.

He described criminal prosecution in the country as pathetic.

“Sometimes when a counsel goes to the police station to seek the bail of a suspect, the police will try to frustrate the effort”, he stated.

He said that bail was no longer free in Nigeria contrary to the notices in police stations.

The Port Harcourt-based lawyer urged law enforcement agents to keep themselves abreast with the dictates of the rule of law.

Barr. Assor said that government would do better in an environment where the rule of law operated.

Chidi Enyie