Justice Halima Abdulmalik, the Chief Judge of Niger State, has expressed concern over delays in the Legal Unit of the State Police Command, particularly their failure to forward case files of suspects to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice.
During her visit to the Minna Old Medium Security Custodial Centre as part of an ongoing inspection of custodial centers across the state, Justice Abdulmalik criticized the practice of allowing inmates to languish in custody without trial due to delays in legal proceedings.
She highlighted the deliberate actions of the police in withholding case files, often citing ongoing investigations as an excuse. Justice Abdulmalik emphasized the need for collaboration between the Legal Unit of the State Police Command and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Ministry of Justice to expedite justice delivery.
Describing the inefficiency of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department’s legal department as unacceptable, Justice Abdulmalik directed the DPP, Barrister Mohammed Kutigi, to prioritize the processing of duplicated case files for swift resolution.
