Major stakeholders in criminal justice administration have identified poor funding as the reason why most criminal cases were poorly investigated by investigating agencies.
President of the Court of Appeal, Justic Zainab Bulkachuwa, Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Executive Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye and Law Professor, Yemi Askinseye-George (SAN), argued that without adequate funding it was impossible to expect success in criminal investigation and prosecution.
They spoke at a training session for officers of the Nigerian Police on the theme: “Towards Effective Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015,” organised by the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS), headed by Prof. Akinseye-George.
About 350 policemen participated in the training.
Represented by a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Appeal Court President noted that the quality of investigation often determines the outcome of any criminal case in court.
Justie Bulkachuwa said: “Unless the pre-trial process is fair and transparent, the end, which is the trial, will fail. Investigation is the foundation of what is going to happen in future, that is the trial.
“We must spend more on police and more on investigation. There is still a huge problem with investigation. Investigation does not mean detaining a suspect for long before taking his statement.
“It does not require just taking the suspect’s confessional statement. All these must happen before the arrest. You have to have funds in order to deal with the facts. Investigation requires logistics. It requires funding.
“It requires you to provide vehicles and stationery to take the statement. To be able to arrest they need vehicle and they need stationery to be able to take the statements of suspects.
“Lack of funding for investigation will make police officer to sit back in the office and compile the file only the extent that he can.
“You need the moral will to do what is right. If you do not have the moral will you cannot effectively enforce the law. What is your moral standard and professional ethics?
“If you do not have the moral will you cannot effectively enforce the law by arresting a suspect or in taking his statement.”
Ibrahim, who declared the event open, said he was committed to the concept of “policing with integrity,” with emphasis on continuous training for members of the police force.
The IGP assured the gathering that he would not relent in ridding the force of bad eggs.
He said the dedicated and upright ones will be rewarded.
Owasanoye contended that without adequate funding, the country would not record success in crime fighting.
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