EFCC urges judiciary to speed up trial of corruption cases.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday urged the judiciary to speed up the trial of corruption cases in the country.

Chairman of the Commission, Farida Waziri, made the appeal in Abuja when she received the President of the Nigeria Bar Association , Joseph Dauda.

According to her, it is the accused persons that approach the court to seek speedy trial on the ground of proving their innocence to the law court.

She said she had instituted more than 55 cases within the last two years in office as the chairman, adding that most of the cases were stalled at the plea stage due to the numerous antics of the accused persons.

I have approached your predecessors in the past to join hands with us so that we can collectively salvage our nation from the grip and weight of corruption.

I am seizing this opportunity to renew the same call and I am sure you will do your best,’’ Waziri pleaded.

The anti graft chief said there was no other means to fight the course of justice other than the law court and insisted that was why she had remained committed to the rule of law since she assumed office.

She, however, urged the general public to snub an allegation that she was interfering in the judicial process.

On his part, Dauda congratulated her for putting more effort on the fight to free the country from corruption.

He said there was no way an anti-graft executive would not face challenges on that seat, and encouraged Waziri to be firm and resolute as well as continue with the good work of relieving the nation.

I don’t want EFCC to be distracted in the performance of their duty and constitutional law. There are already separations of power in the constitution, Dauda said.

He stated that some of the judges were not equipped with relevant materials to help them pronounce judgments on some of the cases.

Some of the judges also lack the mentality and intellectual capacity to deal with corruption cases which amounts to the delay of judgments.

Until we get the court structure right, we will continue to have blame from one angle or the other. Investigation and prosecution of persons is where the problem is, Dauda said.

He pledged the readiness of NBA to partner with the commission and called on it to invest more on investigation

The NBA president was accompanied on the visit by other top officials of the association.