By Henry Umoru
ABUJA – THE Senate Thursday passed for third reading, the Witness Protection Bill that recommends a two -year jail term or N500, 000 fine for any insincere witness in court.

Judicial symbol for justice

In the Bill, which seeks to protect witnesses, it also made provisions for stiff punishment for anyone who abruptly pulls out of any ongoing case for which he’s standing in a witness.

The passed Witness Protection Bill would enable certain persons receive protection in relation to certain information and evidence people render to law enforcement agencies during investigation.

The bill which seeks to enable certain person receive protection in relation to certain information, evidence or other assistance rendered to law enforcement agencies during enquiries, investigation or prosecution under the bill was sponsored by late Senator Isiaka Adeleke who represented Osun West Senatorial District in the current 8th Senate before his death in April this year.

Presenting the report, Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru, APC, Niger East while highlighting the essence of the Bill, stated that the witness protection programme contained in the bill is a universally accepted concept for the protection of witnesses who are willing to provide information and evidence for the purpose of enhancing the justice systems and whose lives may be threatened.

According to him, the bill seeks to address a major lacuna in Nigeria’s justice system as there are no extant laws in place which are specific enough to “address what this bill is to achieve, unravel highly organized criminal activities with the help of people who are willing to supply information.

“It is to give impetus to the current anti-corruption drive of this administration. No doubt it would restore confidence to our justice system.

“It also seek to provide an enabling environment to effect government policies that enhance the administration of criminal justice and the fight against corruption and assist unravel criminal activities which has constituted major challenges in corporate existence.

“Such a programme is a universally accepted programme for the protection of witnesses willing to provide information and evidence for the purpose of enhancing a justice system and whose lives may be threatened as a result thereof.

“The legislation will give impetus and credence to the current anti corruption drive of this administration. It will also restore confidence in our justice system.”

Speaking on the findings, Senator Umaru said, “Flowing from the submissions/presentations made by stakeholders and the general public on this proposed legislation and having analysed same in our subsequent mark-up sessions on the bill, we hereby make the following observations/findings:

“That all the stakeholders and members of the public that submitted memoranda and also made oral presentations at the public hearing, supported the passage of the bill;

“That the bill, if enacted, will address a major lacuna in our justice SYstem as there are no extant laws in place, which are Comprehensive and SpeCifiC enough to address what this bill seeks to achieve; That witness protection programme is a universally accepted concept that is aimed at unravelling highly organised criminals

activities with the help of persons who are willing to volunteer information, evidence and other forms of assistance to law enforcement agencies.

“That the passage of this bill will provide an enabling environment and give effect to government’s policies that seek to enhance the administration of criminal justice and promote the fight against corruption; and

“That the enactment of this law would assist in unravelling Organised criminal activities, which have constituted major challenges to our corporate existence, growth and development.”

In passing the Bill yesterday, it was an emotional environment in the Senate chamber as the report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters which handled the Bill was considered by the parliament because it was a Bill sponsored by the late Senator Adeleke .

In his contribution, Senator Kabir Marafa, APC, Zamfara who drew the attention of the Senate to the fact that the penalty stipulated in the proposed law was not stiff enough to deter those who might wish to be mischievous while standing as witnesses, said that it is essential to make the penalty real stiff to deter any witness who tries to contravene the law by pulling out during trial, and therefore, suggested an increase in the fine for such to N500, 000 with a jail term of 2 years.

Clause 15 of the Bill had originally made provision of N100, 000 for such infraction.

In his remarks, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremedu who presided over yesterday’s plenary, said that the Senate took time to appreciate the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke for sponsoring the bill, just as he said that the Senate was committed to ensuring the enhancement of our judicial process, adding that the bill will ensure that the wheel of justice was not in anyway encumbered.

Ekweremadu who dedicated the bill to the memory of Adeleke who died in April, said, “This is one of our contributions to that process. I believe that going forward those in the judiciary especially those in the prosecution process will have it easy to securing witnesses and are sure of protection.”