The Advisory Committee set up by the Lagos Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN to review laws enabling Police to prosecute in Magistrate Courts in Lagos is set to hold a meeting with relevant stake holders to receive contributions that would assist the AG’s Advisory Committee on its report.
The meeting which is scheduled to hold on Wednesday the 29th of January 2020 is expected to have in attendance, representatives of the Judiciary, the Police, the State House of Assembly, NBA, NGOs and the Press.
It would be recalled that the on Wednesday 8th January 2020, the AG inaugurated a Seven Member committee on the subject. read here
The committee’s inauguration was in response to the clamour by Non-Governmental Organizations and Stakeholders to Bar Police Prosecutions of Criminal matters at the state Magistrate in accordance to the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Acts (ACJA).
The seven member committee has as its terms of reference the following;
1. The State of Law in terms of Police Prosecutorial powers
2. Challenges of oversight functions of the AG
3. Distinctions in the type of offences police can prosecute
4. Magistrate Court Jurisdiction on criminal matters and it’s powers to review charges
5. Track the Number of criminal cases filed at the Magistrate courts in Lagos State within a given period and how many cases where successfully prosecuted
6. Whether the Office of the DPP can take over prosecution in over 150 magistrate courts in Lagos
7. Types and categories of cases Police prosecutors handle in the Magistrate court.
Members of the committee include:Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey – Chairman , Mr. Norrison Quakers, SAN – Member, Ms. Titilayo Shitta-Bey (Solicitor-General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice) – Member, Mr. Yhaqub Oshoala (Director, Public Prosecutions) – Member
DSP- Yetunde Cardoso, O/C Legal Dept, Criminal Investigation, Yaba, Lagos. – Member, Mr., Bayo Akinlade, NBA Ikorodu Chairman- Member, Mrs. Rukayat Owolabi – Member and Mrs. Arinola Momoh-Ayokanmbi – Secretary.