Abiodun Nejo, Ado Ekiti
The attorneys general of the six states of the South-West have begun moves to strengthen collaboration among the Amotekun security networks in the states in the zone.
Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Olawale Fapohunda, said the AGs, who would henceforth operate under the aegis of the AGs of South-West states of Nigeria Forum, had also set up a committee on the harmonisation and uniformity of laws in the zone.
Fapohunda, in a statement on Sunday on the outcome of the virtual meeting of the South-West AGs, said, “The chief law officers deliberated on a number of issues affecting the administration of justice in their states, including the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the criminal justice system.”
The Ekiti AG, who facilitated the meeting, stated that the six AGs “agreed to work towards collaboration, sharing of information and expertise on the implementation of the legal and institutional framework of the Amotekun security network agencies.
“The AGs discussed the modalities for the harmonisation and uniformity of laws of South-West states and agreed to establish a Committee on the Unification of Laws of South-West states.”
He said the harmonisation would be “specifically in areas of criminal laws and commercial Laws and broadly in enacting legislation that affects the socio-economic development of the six South West states”.
Fapohunda said the AGs discussed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the administration of justice in the six South West states specifically as it related to the Criminal Justice System.
He said, “The AGs expressed concern about the continued closure of correctional centres and its effects on effective prosecution of serious crimes and resolved to collectively urge the Minister of Interior to achieve a quick resolution of the matter.
“The AGs also commended the National Judicial Council for issuing guidelines for court sittings and related matters in the COVID-19 period and welcomed the novel idea of virtual court hearings as a means of achieving speedy and safe dispensation of cases during the ongoing COVID-19 period with a commitment to ensuring the progressive implementation of the NJC guidelines in the six South-West states of Nigeria.”
According to him, the AGs in attendance at the meeting were Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN (Lagos); Adekola Olawoye SAN (Ondo); Prof. Oyewole Oyewo (Oyo); Akingbolahan Adediran (Ogun); Olufemi Akande (Osun) and Fapohunda (Ekiti)
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