Abuja –  Global Action Against Corruption and Bad Leadership Initiative, (GAACBLI), an NGO, on Thursday urged the Federal Government to discourage plea bargaining in corruption cases.

Prof. Matthew Atoba, a Research Consultant, made the call in Abuja during the organisation’s road show to the Presidential Villa and the National Assembly in support of President Muhammadu Burhari’s anti-corruption programme.

He said that the act of plea bargain was not in the interest of the country, adding that it was corruption in another form.

Plea bargain (also plea agreement, plea deal, copping a plea, or plea in mitigation) is any agreement in a criminal case between the prosecutor and defendant whereby the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a particular charge in return for some concession from the prosecutor.

“We are using this opportunity to let the government know that the Nigerian people will no longer accept plea bargain because it is another form of corruption.

“The few greedy and corrupt Nigerians will no doubt take advantage of it, considering the fact that they would be made to bring back a very small fraction of their loot in the process,” Atoba said.

He said that the road show tagged, “Bring Back Our Money’’ was aimed at mobilising Nigerians to support the Federal Government’s anti-corruption drive.

“This road show is to let Nigerians know that the President is not alone in the fight against corruption and that corruption can destroy the country, if we fail to support him.

“We are tasking the National Assembly to come up with laws that will expose these few greedy Nigerians who have stolen money that belong to the Nigerian people.”

Atoba blamed the high rate of corruption in the country on faulty policies.