MEDIA TRIAL OF CRIME SUSPECTS IS ALIEN TO PROSECUTION PROCEDURE IN NIGERIA!

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.  

(Looking at Nigeria's Political System from a Godly Perspective).

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. [VOL. 7. NO 267. 23rdSeptember, 2018.] “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

MEDIA TRIAL OF CRIME SUSPECTS IS ALIEN TO PROSECUTION PROCEDURE IN NIGERIA!

The unconstitutional trial of accused persons on the electronic and print media before their arraignment in courts of competent jurisdiction, which has now become an unchecked norm amongst almost all Nigerian law-enforcement agencies, is an unfortunate trend that deserves the urgent attention of the Change Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, which emphasizes the entrenchment of fundamental human rights and rule of law for all citizens!

The crack detectives of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), of the Nigerian Police Force, (NPF), who were credited for unravelling all manner of criminal motives/traits/patterns of crime suspects and always dug for and produced concrete evidences for successful prosecutions and convictions in those good old days, have gone to ROOST only to be replaced by professional comedians/theatre artistes who now dramatize trials on television sets, and publish them in magazines, newspapers and lately on the internet/social media, in a manner that is publicly termed as "trial before trial", which is anathema to prosecution procedure!

IN SOME CASES, WHEN THEY WERE NOT ON TEE VEE, THEY GOT PHYSICAL AND VERY INTIMIDATING AGAINST THE CITIZENS ACROSS BOARD - JUDGES, STATE ADMINISTRATORS, LEGISLATORS, POLITICIANS, MOST ESPECIALLY THE MASSES AT CHECK POINTS/HIGHWAYS; ETC, MOST TIMES WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED PERMISSION OR APPROVAL OF THEIR SUPERIORS OR THE PRESIDENCY!

The State Security Services (SSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), which are off-shoots from NPF, regularly committed the same offences against human rights, and always got off the hook unchallenged and which attitude has brought to the fore the truth that these law-enforcement agencies lacked the fundamental ingredients required to lay the foundations of STRONG INSTITUTIONS!
Sensationalism and orchestration of allegations against crime suspects, especially politicians on Tube stations are the inheritance from past administrations but this very common option of media trial, adopted by these agencies and which is opposed and detrimental to APC's mantra of CHANGE, MUST be urgently nipped in the bud and also punished according to the law, in order to save the country from being the ubiquitous laughing stock among the comity of nations!
The most recent and most ridiculous was the television trial of the PDP Governorship Candidate, few days to the OSUN STATE ELECTIONS of Saturday, 22nd September, 2018, by the NPF during which allegations of examination malpractices were pronounced and "documented evidences, including photographs" were tendered by the image maker of the POLICE, who ordered the accused candidate and his accomplices to report at the Police Force Headquarters, ABUJA, three days before the election for immediate arraignment in court! The officer in question gave no thought to the fact that the PDP opposition party would protest the timing of such invitation as politically-motivated to dis-enfranchise their candidate from the crucial election and reduce his chances of winning; since he had earlier won a Senatorial seat, in the same State with a similar certificate and is a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
President Buhari however stopped the "kangaroo order", just as he had done to avert national embarrassments occasioned through these agencies in the past!
We vividly recall the physical and intimidating SSS "Sting Operation" of 8th-9th, October, 2016, on Judges of High and Supreme Courts, another operation of 4th September 2015, of the Akwa Ibom State Government House, and a recent siege of the National Assembly on 7th August, 2018, by the same agency, and an alleged blockade of the deputy senate president's Abuja residence by the Police, a few days earlier, ALL ON CAMERA AND TELEVISION!
But there used to be a glorious past when Police Detectives, Nigeria Security Organisation (NSO), /Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), were the "SECRET POLICE", who always got convictions in sensational/high profile cases involving politicians and the so-called elites of the society, but now these illustrious, dedicated and diligent officers have fizzled out without decendants! Those who took over their offices have discarded their HOODS and became TV Stars!

WHAT GAINS FROM MEDIA TRIALS?
We make bold to say that virtually all "tee vee" trials of high-profile cases which gulped millions of tax-payers money ended in shoddy investigations/unprofessional prosecution and were always lost by these agencies and we wondered if the technology of the Tube was meant to relieve law-enforcement agents of their constitutional duties of crime prevention, detection and successful prosecution of offenders!
From meticulous investigations over the years (especially, between 1999-2015), it has been revealed that the high statistics of cases won by these agencies were mostly of petty crimes which were always given much publicity while unsuccessful high-profile cases, were usually down-played!

WHAT OBTAINS IN OTHER CLIMES!
Who taught them to embark on media trials? Maybe the devil! Do we have similar traditions in other climes? NO! The Rule of Law is glaringly manifesting in most developed economies and the fundamental right of each citizen is jealously guarded by government! No lazy, sloven, nor lackadaisical prosecutor could find employment in law-enforcement agencies where there is fierce competition amongst best brains! It's on record that within 24 hours of the commission of any crime, criminals were quickly arrested and brought before the law for justice in other climes! No Scotland Yard detective, MI 5, FBI or CIA personnel ever went on television to CRUCIFY any citizen whether a matter was under investigation or had been concluded! Everyone had his opportunity in court to prove his innocence or guilt as the case may be!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDIA TRIAL AND FAKE/HATE NEWS?
There is a very thin line between the TWO CRIMES! Media trial is a subtle but blanket condemnation of a suspect who had not even been arraigned before any court of competent jurisdiction with a view of soliciting negative public judgment which is untenable and inconsequential in law, while FAKE news are fabrication of lies, gossips, innuendoes  laced with tribal, sectional, or religious sentiments, and surreptitiously aimed to cause public confusion, commotion, stampede, disorder or even war!
HATE news are libellous/defamatory publications maliciously targeted to impugn another's character negatively and present such person(s), as odious, irresponsible or incapable of credence or positivity! THE PRESS IS NOT LICENCED TO PUBLISH FAKE/HATE NEWS; THEREFORE, MEDIA TRIAL IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!
This is the opportuned time for the Change administration to consider our advocacy for the strengthening of Nigeria's strategic institutions: The Armed Forces/Para-military Agencies; the Civil Service; Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDA's); etc, through total overhaul of their administrative/physical/financial structures/resources etc, with a view of lifting the HUMAN CAPITAL ASSETS to maximum potentiality in order to perform at optimal level and in tandem with international best practice! The 21st Century ICT-driven World of new inventions has no place for mediocrity in governance, therefore, Nigeria needs new managers with fresh and resourceful brains to tailor the nation's WORKFORCE  to conform with the modern trend of achieving highly sophisticated results!

Human capital development is a nation’s greatest asset and it is therefore imperative for political managers to cherish and nurture such natural capital base with much wisdom and dexterity, especially if such country is blessed with massive population! In fifty-eight years of independence, Nigeria is eminently qualified to be categorized within the ranks of countries whose human capital asset could easily lift it out of the doldrum of any economic challenge if and when such advantage was meticulously channelled!

HOW CAN THE INNOCENT CITIZENS BE PROTECTED FROM THE EXCESSES OF LAZY AGENTS?
Civil Society/Non-Governmental Organizations and The PRESS which is constitutional saddled in Section 39 (1) - (3) (a) (b) of the Federal Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as government's WATCHDOG, must galvanize massive advocacy against MEDIA TRIAL, and remind CITIZENS of their fundamental rights of " presumption of innocence by the law, for as long as any trial against them lasted"!
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES EXCESSES MUST HENCEFORTH BE RESISTED AND TESTED IN THE LAW COURTS BY AGGRIEVED CITIZENS IN ORDER TO PUT A PERMANENT STOP TO THE VIOLATION OF THEIR RIGHTS BY THOSE SHOULD PROTECT THEM FROM SUCH ABUSE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE!
President Muhammadu Buhari, who from the inception of his administration, had displayed sterling qualities of a democrat through principled statesmanship and people-oriented and friendly policies in the interest of the masses, should call his appointees to order to avoid a continuous condemnation of his government, locally and globally, because from all indications, he was not aware of these negative activities of his subordinates!
‘’If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’’ (Psalm 11:3)

Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access, to this newsletter, log on to:  facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, https://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer: Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08098194390.  08080243066. g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.