The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed has said that cases of corruption against high-profile individuals would no longer be dismissed without trial.

Justice Mahmud said this at the opening ceremony of an ‘International Workshop on the Judiciary and Fight against Corruption’, which had in attendance President Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), among others.

The two-day event was jointly-organised by the National Judicial Institute.

The CJN said the judiciary had put a stop to exonerating high-profile citizens accused of corruption without undergoing trial by giving favourable verdicts.

He said one of the reasons the cases against these persons had remained in the court’s dockets was because of lack of will by government to get them prosecuted.

He said, “I must emphasise that the fact that these cases still remain on our case list was because of lack of will on the part of government to have these cases prosecuted.

“Also, as corresponding action from the judiciary, we are determined not to strike out or dismiss the cases or discharge and acquit accused persons without trial.

“That is why these cases remain on the list because of virile determination to have them prosecuted  when the will to do so arises such as now.”

The CJN added that since 2013, various levels of court in the country had “initiated and introduced Practice Directions on Kidnapping, Corruption and other Serious Offences, that provides framework for the fast-tracking of major crimes and corruption cases.”

He added,  “The issue of undue delay by technicality, which hitherto plagued the criminal justice system, has also been addressed by the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.”

He urged “all parties to proceedings to avail themselves of the innovations introduced by the Act in order to ensure that delay becomes obsolete in our courts.”

He assured Nigerians that the judiciary would continue to play its role in the fight against corruption. He also added that anyone found guilty would face due punishment.