By Onoriode Etatsemi
The need for consistent synergy between the investigative agencies and the Ministry of Justice with a view to ensuring speedy and effective justice system in the state has been brought to the fore .
Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, SAN , stated this in Asaba while declaring open a one-day capacity building workshop on Effective Criminal Investigation by Investigating Agencies/Authorities under the Delta State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022.
Ohwovoriole said that the purpose of the training was to bring the investigators up to speed with the new law , adding that as security agencies especially the police were very key in justice delivery.
He stated that there was gap in their interactions and called for more direct interaction with his Ministry notwithstanding the fact that the Police interfaced with the officers of the Ministry every two months.
While saying that there should be more engagement with the lawyers and the Judges that implement and interpret the law , Ohwovoriole stated that prosecutors could lose a case due to little error emanating from poor investigation.
He said that three resource persons who were Honourable Justices M. N. Obi, Honourable Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro and Honourable Justice Anthony Okorodas were carefully selected considering their credentials.
In his keynote address on effective criminal investigation by the investigative agencies/authorities, Honourable Justice M. N Obi harped on the importance of proper investigation and told the security agencies not to subject a suspect to handcuff except when he or she attempted to escape.
Obi , however, asserted that arrest should be done in accordance with the legal provisions and berated the manner in which police in some cases carry out mass arrests of innocent individuals that may not have committed any offence when the actual suspect must have escaped.
He said that investigating agencies must be conversant with the provisions of the law that protected the right of both suspect and complainant as he reminded them that record keeping was necessary for the purpose of proper documentation just as he said that electronic surveillance played critical role in high case evidences.
Earlier in their goodwill messages, the O/C Legal and a Chief Superintendent of Police, Delta State Police Command, CSP. Gladys Imegwu and the Solicitor-General /Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Justice, Mr. Omamuzo Erebe, represented by Mr. Ben Adigwe lauded the Attorney-General for bringing investigative agencies including the police, DSS and lawyers to come together to synergize on how to move the justice system forward.
Speaking further, Imegwu, said that they were often confronted with challenges in regions where suspects could not have access to legal representation or family support and non availability of the help of civil society groups .
She stated that the ACJ law 2022 had some challenges that made compliance difficult particularly with reference to section 73 sub section 1 and 2 of the law that emphasised that when a suspect was arrested and wished to make a statement and that such statement should be taken in presence of a legal practitioner of his choice or a Justice of Peace or officers of the Legal Aid Council or in presence of a public defender .
Imegwu explained that the Delta State Police Command acknowledged the importance of balancing the rights of the suspect with the necessity of conducting effective investigation and reiterated their commitment to ensure that the criminal justice processes was delivered.
The resource persons, Honourable Justice Anthony Okorodas presented a lecture on the need for cctive synergy between the Ministry of Justice and the investigating agencies/authorities under the Delta State ACJ law 2022, while Honourable Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro’s lecture anchored on recording and presentation of confessional statements in court by investigating agencies/authorities under the Delta State ACJ law 2022.
In an interview with newsmen , one of the participants, Mr. Oyin-Tari Emmanuel Suowari, a Deputy Director in the State Ministry of Justice , described the training as apt and appreciated the Attorney-General for his initiative.
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