The Acting Chief Judge of Kogi state, Hon. Justice Josiah Joe Majebi, has charged anti-graft agencies in the country to intensify effort in investigation before prosecuting their cases in Kogi state courts.
He said paying clinical attention to cases would pave way to achieve the desired result through accelerated hearing.
He gave the charge when he received the zonal commandant of the EFCC covering Kogi, Kwara and Ekiti states, Mr. Michael Nzekwe, at the judiciary headquarters in Lokoja.
He stated that judges in the state have already prioritised matters emanating from anti-graft agencies because of the negative effect of financial crimes on the nation’s economy.
Justice Majebi assured of Kogi state judiciary’s determination to continue assisting the country to regain its image in the comity of nations adding that the impact of graft on the country’s economy was devastating.
He said the fight against the vice should be everybody’s concern.
“The duty of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) is the responsibility of everyone. As a judge, you may be crying to the government over what you’re not getting, but crimes of this nature diminish what you ought to get.
“You discover that if you allow economic crime to remain unchecked, the standard of living drops and it even makes our nation not to look serious and attract foreign investors. So, we at Kogi state judiciary realised the importance of this to the economy of the nation and we have prioritised your cases,” he said.
He counseled the agency on proper investigation of cases before trial.
