Prosecution of alleged killer of Enugu musician to begin soon – Attorney General
The Enugu State Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General, Dr Kingsley Udeh, has said that the state will commence the prosecution of the alleged killer
By Ifeoma Aka
The Enugu State Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General, Dr Kingsley Udeh, has said that the state will commence the prosecution of the alleged killer of a popular Enugu musician, Okezie Mba, next week.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mba, otherwise called Igbo Jah, was allegedly shot dead in October 2024 by a policeman at a Police Station in Enugu.
Udeh also said that one Sunday Echeji, who allegedly cut off the hand of his wife, Chinonso, would also begin next week.
Udeh disclosed this during an interactive session with newsmen in Enugu on Thursday.
He said that the Ministry of Justice had qualified and competent lawyers to efficiently prosecute both cases.
He said that the ministry was currently prosecuting many criminal cases, with over 100 criminal case files handled every month.
The commissioner further said that the government had initiated different strategies to ensure quick dispensation of justice, including the digitalisation of court filing process, virtual trials, and introduction of Witness Support Fund (WSF).
“Now, the governor has approved what we call WSF, money earmarked for calling witnesses, especially in a criminal case.
“It was one of the things that stalled quick dispensation of justice before the current administration.
“You know that criminal prosecution is done by the state.
“You know that the government is not the victim or complainant in the case, and we call witnesses.
“Before now, no money is assigned to the prosecutor for calling witnesses.
“You may be asking if the witnesses are paid to come to court.
“We do not pay them, but we provide them with logistics.
“So, if you are calling a pathologist to come and give an expert evidence as expert witness, they wouldn’t come until you give them money, not to pay them but their logistics,” Udeh said.
He said that government was using every legal instrument at its disposal, including granting of state pardon to deserving inmates, to decongest the correctional centres.
He announced that the Supreme Court had granted Enugu State full ownership of the Hotel Presidential which, according to him, ended all litigations previously hindering the government from doing the needful.
“Criminals were using Hotel Presidential as hideout because it was a massive structure, no security there, so criminals were having a field day there.
“The court ordered us to go there in order to pursue criminals out because it has become a security threat.
“So we did that and started putting things in order.
“And then we started pursuing them with speed, knowing that there is a limit we can go because of litigation against the state.
“So we started pursuing to end the case at the Supreme Court,” he said. (NAN)
