By Eshiorameh Sebastian in Abuja
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on judges and prosecutors in Nigeria to take a lesson from the legal system in Finland.
This call followed the speedy trial and conviction of Simon Ekpa on terrorism related charges in a Finnish court.
A District Court in Finland found Ekpa guilty of participating in a terrorist organisation and of publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes.
He was sentenced to six years in prison. Ekpa, who is based in Finland, is known for enforcing a sit-at-home order in Nigeria’s South-east, an action taken in solidarity with the call for a Biafra nation and in protest of the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Reacting to the conviction, the President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), said that while he was yet to get the full details of the judgment, he was “very impressed with the short time it took to conclude investigation and trial.” He stated this while presenting a communiqué from the NBA’s recent Annual General Conference in Enugu.
“I look at the time it took to do the trial, and the sort of evidence relied on by the court in order for them to arrive at a decision. That should be a lesson for us,” he said.
The NBA president explained that trials take much longer in Nigeria because “most judges still write longhand” instead of using modern technology. He also urged investigators and prosecutors to ensure they have enough evidence and have built a strong case before going to court.
In a related matter, the NBA also faulted the invitation of lawyers nominated for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Department of State Service (DSS) for questioning. The association believes that “it does not require DSS inviting them,” and suggested that sending a confidential report on the nominees would have been sufficient.
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