The Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Ishaq Bello, has said that 12 new judges will be designated to handle corruption cases.
He said the 12 judges would be picked among the 32 new judges that will be coming on board soon.
A statement posted on the website of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Friday, quoted Justice Bello as disclosing the plan at a meeting with the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye.
According the statement, the Chief Judge said, “I will dedicate 12 judges out of the 32 new judges that are coming on board mainly for the adjudication of corruption cases.
“This, I believe, will help with the quick prosecution of corruption cases coming before the court.”
The Chief Judge however asked the ICPC to conduct training for the incoming judges to familiarise them with happenings around the anti-corruption world.
“We need immediate training, particularly in the area of forfeiture which is crucial to the nation,” he said.
Earlier, Owasanoye had complained that some processes such as difficulty in obtaining court and banker’s orders were frustrating the work of the ICPC.
The ICPC boss also lamented that it sometimes took up to six months for a filed case to be assigned to a judge.