Sokoto CJ Backs Special Court For Electoral Offences

To allow for speedy dispensations of electoral offences, the Chief Judge of Sokoto State, Justice Muhammad Sai’du Sifawa, has said a special court will be set up to handle all suspects in respect of such offences.

The chief judge dropped the news when a delegation of the state Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) paid him a courtesy visit.

While reassuring them of his commitment towards working with the committee, Justice Sifawa emphasized that a special court with mandate to handle all suspects in cases of electoral offences would be set up and such offences would be dealt with decisively no matter the forces behind them.

Addressing the chief judge, the commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usaini Gumel said, the ICCES comprised of representatives from all other security agencies and was set up primarily with the mandate of policing and managing the upcoming general elections and was grouped under four key pillars.

Gumel listed the pillars to include: ensuring the safety and security of all persons and properties that would be involved in the entire electoral process without bias, strict enforcement of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the penal code as well as the Electoral laws without fear or favour, provision of security, jointly organising traffic and crowd management at political party campaigns, and other activities relating to the elections.