Abuja- A pro-democracy civil society group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Saturday urged the Federal Government to carry out comprehensive reforms of the criminal justice system in the country.
Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, the National Coordinator of HURIWA, made this appeal through a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
“The Nigerian court system currently is a respecter of the rich and affluent as it is,’’ it said.
“The current soft landing and discriminatory lenient sentences usually meted out to affluent persons are in conflict with our laws and are compromising the integrity of the nation’s judicial system.’’
The group stressed that to be lenient in the sentencing of accused persons that embezzled public funds would amount to a ridicule of the nation’s judicial system in the eyes of the global community.
HURIWA also urged the incoming 8th National Assembly to review the laws of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to make the institution more capable and functional.
“The punishment for corrupt enrichment by public office holders in Nigeria should be more stringent,’’ it said.
The group noted that the EFCC needed to re-examine its selection of private law firms that handle its prosecutions.
“The EFCC seems to be succeeding in obtaining harsher sentencing for petty crooks involved in fraud and not doing so well in getting judgment against corrupt public officials,’’ it said.
The statement read in part that: “There is indication that indicted public figures and big time contractors receive ridiculous lenient punishments from our courts.
“These judgments are comical and they undermine our anti-graft war.’’ (NAN)