Lawyers call for review of justice system, urge trial of Evans or bail for

The Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Lanre Onadeko (SAN) has called for the review of the justice system.

He made the call at a lecture at the weekend, to mark the 40 years of the Call to Bar of the set of ’77,’ with the theme “We are Lawyers, We are Judges: Now Justice.”

According to him, Rule 30 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) was on the decline among lawyers. Onadeko, who was the lead speaker, said some lawyers and judges were delaying justice in the pursuit of their clients’ interest.

He stressed that their action has undermined the fact that they are first and foremost officers of the court, who must not delay, obstruct, or do anything that might adversely affect the administration of justice.

He said the review was necessary to prevent some powerful individuals from manipulating the judiciary.

He explained that the judicial system, which was meant to fight against corruption and protect the innocent ones, has been sabotaged.

According to him, there have been cases of adjournment and delayed trial to cripple the system and the reputation of lawyers in the country.

He said: “It would appear that in growing number of cases, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has been constrained to comment on the attitudes of some lawyers, suggesting a disconnect between the RPC and advocacy tactics and strategy.”

He said some applications for adjournments were designed to “delay trials and the now ubiquitous applications for bail, predicated on ill-health, mainly in high profile cases”

The DG noted that it is a disservice to the criminal process and contemptuous lip service to the fight against corruption, adding that the tactic was one of the means by which the rich and powerful could cripple the criminal process.

Also, Human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has urged the police to immediately prosecute suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also called Evans.

Adegboruwa argued that Evans’ continued media trial instead of court, was unjustified and urged the police to either charge him to court or grant him bail.

He said: “He has confessed to a lot of crimes including killing, meaning that there are sufficient materials to enable the police to file charges against him.

“Luckily, most of these crimes were committed in Lagos where there is a law against kidnapping. Why haven’t the police concluded investigation, prepare the case file and send it to the Attorney General of Lagos State? What we should be after is a speedy trial, so that the course of justice would be served, rather than keeping him perpetually in detention.”