Senate plans separate courts for EFCC, ICPC

By Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 12.05.2008

The Senate will, tomorrow, debate a bill seeking to approve the establishment of separate courts for prosecution of financial crime suspects in the country.

The bill, being sponsored by Senator Simeon Oduoye (Osun Central), is entitled Financial Crimes court bill 2008.

Information available in the Senate indicate that the bill is aimed at making Nigeria at par with sister African countries especially, South Africa where the Commercial Crimes court has been operating successfully.

A brief introduction by Senator Oduoye indicates that the bill is aimed at enhancing the corruption war in Nigeria.

“This bill has gone for first reading and if passed into law, it will create a specialised anti-corruption court in Nigeria, similar to the hugely successful Commercial court of South Africa. The court will have the powers of a high Court but with exclusive jurisdiction on cases and matters relating to offences committed and triable under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2002, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2002 and the money Laundering Act 1995,” the senator stated.

Senator Oduoye stated that the battle against corruption is not only a battle against poverty and underdevelopment, but a battle that has been identified as crucial by the World Bank.

He stated: “As we romance the idea of becoming one of the 20 biggest economies in the world by the year 2020, we must restrategise and double our efforts at combating corruption because an honest and humble assessment of our state of the nation will always lead to an informed realisation that Vision 2020 will be impossible to realise if the war against corruption is not won.”

When created, the Financial Crimes Court will, according to the introductory notes by the senator, would fast-track the prosecution of financial crimes, reduce the case load of other courts and also decongest the prisons.

The Senator also listed other benefits of the bill as including ensuring effective anti-corruption war by the federal government, assurance of the international community that Nigeria was serious about the fight against corruption and the timely dispensation of corruption cases.