Criminal proceedings can be
instituted in courts vested with criminal jurisdiction by persons or
authorities competent to do so. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria (CFRN), and various enactments also vest powers on these authorities:
a)
The
Attorney-General
b)
The
Police
c)
Private
persons
d)
Special
prosecutors.
It should be noted that wherever
there is incompetence on the part of the prosecutor, the whole proceedings
shall be a nullity including any judgment that may have been obtained therefrom
– Olatunji
v. The State (2000) FWLR (PT 30) 2635. click on any picture on right or left hand side for more insight.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL
The Attorney General of the Federation is the Chief
Law Officer of the Federation while the Attorney General of the State is the Chief
Law Officer of the State. He must be a legal practitioner of at least ten (10)
years standing in the profession.
The office of the A-G. is created under the provisions
of sections 171(1) and 211(1) of the
1999 Constitution. By these provisions, each A-G., has the power to
institute, take over and to discontinue criminal proceedings before a Court in
Nigeria in his respective jurisdiction, except in a Court Martial.
However, the definition of Federal offences made by section 286 of CRFN which is to the
effect that where a Federal law is to take effect as a State law, the A-G of
the State is competent to institute criminal proceedings against any person
because that law is deemed to be a State Law. However, this section does not
confer jurisdiction as respects Federal causes or Federal offences upon a court
presided over by a person who is not or has not been qualified to practise as a
legal practitioner in Nigeria – Emelogu v. The State (1988) 2 NWLR (Pt 78) 524,
the A-G of Imo State prosecuted the appellant who was later convicted by the
court for robbery under the Robbery and Firearms Act. He appealed contending that the Firearm Act
under which he was prosecuted being an Act of the National Assembly, the A-G of
Imo was not competent to prosecute under the said Act. It was held that the
Firearm Act was meant to operate as a State law. It was also held that since
the offence of armed robbery was not included in the Exclusive Legislative List
or Concurrent List, it falls within the Residual List and hence any State
Attorney General can prosecute without any delegation from the A-G of the
Federation; Also, A-G of Ondo State v. A-G of The Federation (2002) FWLR (PT 111) 1972 at
2073.
While the Federal A-G cannot exercise powers granted to him under section 174(1) in
respect of State offences, the State A-G also
cannot exercise the power granted to him under section 211(1) of CFRN in respect of Federal offences – Anyebe v. The State (1986) 1 SC 87, it was held that only the A-G of the Fed can institute and undertake
proceedings against any person in relation to matters within the Exclusive
Legislative List. It was also held that the power of the A-G of the Fed can be exercised by him in person
or through an officer of his department expressly delegated. Hence the A-G of Benue State is not an officer in the Department of
the A-G of the Fed. The A-G of a State only has power to institute criminal proceedings in respect
of offences created by or under any law of the State house of Assembly while
the power of the A-G of
the Fed is
limited to matters over which the National Assembly can legislate.
EXAMINING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 174(1) OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION
The Attorney General of the
Federation shall have power:
a)
To institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person
before any court of law in Nigeria other than a Court Martial in respect of any
offence created by or under any Act of the National Assembly.
b)
To take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have
been instituted by any other authority or person; and
c)
To discontinue at any stage before judgment is delivered any such
criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by him or any other authority or
person.
POWER TO INSTITUTE AND UNDERTAKE CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
The power of the A-G of the Fed or of a State to institute criminal proceedings is an
absolute one. What this means is that where two or more persons are alleged to
have committed an
offence, the A.G
has the power to prosecute one or more of them and let one or more of them
go. He is under no obligation to give
reasons for exercising his discretion – Bagudu v. Federal Republic Of Nigeria (2004) 1 NWLR (Pt 853) 183; A-G of Ondo State v. A-G of the Federation (supra). In The State v. Okpegboro (1980) 2 NCR 291, a State Counsel filed a charge
before a Magistrate Court and an objection was taken on the ground that by
Section 78(B) of the Criminal Procedure Act, only a Police Officer could bring
and file a charge before a Magistrate Court.
The objection was overruled; the Court held that the powers of the Attorney General contained in Section 191(1) of
the 1999 Constitution supersedes the power of the Police as provided in Section
78(B) of the Criminal Procedure Act.
THE POWER TO TAKE OVER AND CONTINUE PROCEEDINGS
By Section 174(b) of the Constitution, the Attorney
General has the power to take over proceedings, which may have been instituted
by him or by any other person or authority.
This power is an
absolute one and what this means is that he does not need to give any person any reason as to why
he is taking over the
proceedings. In
Amaefule v. The State (1988) 2 NWLR (Pt 75) 156, the accused persons were charged
before the Magistrate Court for certain indictable offences. After several
adjournments, the Magistrate adjourned the case sine die. While the
proceedings was still going on, the Attorney General filed an information in
respect of the same charges against some of the accused persons. The accused
persons objected on the ground that it was an abuse of process and that the
information be declared null and void. The
Supreme Court rejected this contention although in its judgment, it
acknowledged that it was desirable to have withdrawn the charges before the
Magistrate Court.
In Edet v. The State (1988) 2 SC (Pt 1) 103, the appellant was charged along with three others before a Magistrate
Court on a charge of manslaughter. Ten months thereafter, information was filed
at the High Court charging
all four of them for murder and they were convicted. In an ultimate appeal to the Supreme Court against
his conviction, the appellant contended that the trial was a nullity in that
the procedure adopted at the High Court, which was affirmed by the Court of
Appeal, was an abuse of process. The
Supreme Court held at page 173 per Uwais, JSC (as he then was) as follows:
“No citizen should be the subject of persecution by the
State. The Courts frown at such action and will not hesitate to deprecate it
even if the law has provided no remedy”.
The learned Justice,
however, concluded that the trial and conviction of the appellant was in order
as nothing affects the powers of the A-G over proceedings at any
stage of the proceedings.
POWER TO
DISCONTINUE
This is otherwise known as the power of nolle
prosequi. Because of the two earlier powers discussed, the power of the A-G
in this respect is equally absolute. There is a lacuna as regards sections 174 and 211(1) of the CFRN as to how the power of nolle is to be exercised. However, sections 73(1) of
the Criminal Procedure
Act (CPA) and 253(2)
of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) make provisions in that regard. By the combine provisions, the A-G is
required to come to Court personally and make an oral application in that
regard or send any officer in his department with a written authority under his
hand. In The State v. Chukwura (1964) NMLR 64,
a State Counsel made an oral application to discontinue proceedings. The
application was refused.
In State v. Ilori (1983) 2 SC 155, it was held that the nature of nolle
prosequi is such that once the plea is entered, the Court does not go
behind it in order to
question the A-G
as to the reasons for so exercising his powers. It held further that the words “shall have regard to the public interest…” used in Section 191(3) of the 1979 Constitution, now section 211(3) of
1999 CFRN, are not mandatory but directory.
The Court concluded that the only check or control on the A-G in the
exercise of his powers is adverse criticism and possible removal by his
appointor.
EFFECT OF A NOLLE PROSEQUI
Once a nolle prosequi is entered, the person is
discharged although it shall not operate to further prosecution on the same facts – sections 73(1) and (2), 74(4) of the CPA, and section 253(3) of the CPC; Clarke v. Attorney General of Lagos (1986) 1 QLRN 119.
In the case of Attorney General of Kaduna State v. Hassan (1985) 2 NWLR (Pt 8) 483, an aggrieved person who maintain a civil action against the
Attorney General has no legal or constitutional backing. In other words, that opinion stands
alone. The reason is that the issue
before the Court was not whether an aggrieved person could maintain an action against the A-G for improper exercise of the power
of nolle
prosequi.
Rather, the
issue before the Court was whether the power of nolle prosequi was exercisable when there is no incumbent A-G, it was held that the powers of the
Attorney General to enter a nolle
prosequi are personal to him hence
the Solicitor General has no power to enter a nolle prosequi so as to
discontinue the case. However, in the case of Obasi v. The State (1998) 9 NWLR
(Pt. 567) 686, the court made a distinction between the powers of the
A-G to commence and take over on the one hand and the power to discontinue on
the other hand. In OBASI’s case, the
accused person were tried for murder on an information and they raised an
objection that their being no Attorney General in office at the time the criminal
prosecution commenced, their arraignment and trial was unconstitutional. In rejecting this contention, the Court held
that the power to commence and take over can be exercised by any law officer in
the Attorney General’s office while the power to discontinue, which is nolle
prosequi is exercisable by the Attorney General only either in person or by
his expressed written authority.
It should be noted that there is a difference between
discontinuance under section 211(1)(c)
of CRFN and withdrawal from Prosecution by the Prosecutor under section 75 of the CPA. The effect of a nolle
prosequi in section 211(1)(c) is a discharge while under
withdrawal in section 75, the effect
would depend on the stage of the proceedings. Where the accused person has not
put in his defence, a withdrawal would lead to a discharge but where he has
already put in his defence, a withdrawal would lead to an acquittal. Also, the
Court must consent to a withdrawal while no consent is required before a nolle
prosequi can be entered. Again, by the proviso to Section 75(1)(b)(ii),
even where withdrawal is done before the accused puts in his defence, a Court
has discretion to either discharge the accused person or acquit him.
Apart from the power of nolle prosequi, the A-G can delegate any of his powers either expressly or by necessary
implication. In other words, every law officer in the Office of the A-G has
an implied power to commence criminal proceedings against any person or to take
over any of such proceedings, and there
is no limit to the powers, which the A-G can delegate.
THE POLICE
The power of the Police to institute criminal
proceedings derives from section 23 of
the Police Act, Cap P.19, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004. It
provides thus:
“Subject to the provisions of
Sections 160 and 191 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
(which relate to the power of the Attorney-General of the Federation and of a
State to institute and undertake, take over and continue or discontinue criminal
proceedings against any person before any court of law in Nigeria), any Police
Officer may conduct in person all prosecutions before any court whether or not
the information or complaint is laid in his name”.
In Olusemo v. C.O.P (1998) 1 NWLR (Pt. 575) 547,
it was held that by virtue of section 23 of the Police Act, any Police Officer
may conduct in person all prosecutions before any court in Nigeria subject to
the powers of the Attorney General of the Federation and the State.
In Osahon v. Federal Republic Of Nigeria (2003) 16
NWLR (Pt. 845) 89, the provisions of Section 56(1) of the Federal High Court
Act was held by the Court of Appeal to have effectively robbed the Police of
the powers to prosecute in the Federal High Court. The Court held that a Police
Officer does not come within the meaning of law officer as used in the Criminal
Code or of the Law Officers Act and is, therefore, incompetent to prosecute in
the Court, that is, in the Federal High Court.
On further appeal to the Supreme Court in Federal
Republic Of Nigeria v. Osahon & 7 ORS. SC 23/2004, decided in February
2006, the Supreme Court overruled the Court of Appeal’s decision. Belgore, JSC who read the lead judgment of
the Court held at page 15 as follows:
“From Colonial period up to date, Police Officers of
various ranks have taken up prosecution of Criminal cases in Magistrate Courts
and other Courts of inferior jurisdiction.
They derive their powers under Section 23 of the Police Act but when it
comes to superior Courts of record, it is desirable though not compulsory that
the prosecuting Police Officer ought to be legally qualified… For the foregoing reasons, I allow this appeal and
hold that a police Officer can prosecute by virtue of Section 23 of the Police
Act, Section 56(1) of the Federal High Court Act and Section 174(1) of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 ….”
Thus,
it is clear that there being no constitutional or statutory provision
prohibiting the Police Officer from prosecuting in any particular Court, the
Police can validly file an information in the High Court. The exclusion of
Police Officers from appearing in the High Court is, therefore, only a matter
of practice by legal practitioners and not of law.
PRIVATE PERSONS
Private persons may institute
criminal proceedings against a person alleged to have committed an offence by
laying a complaint before a court – section
59(1) of CPA, and 143(e) of CPC.
By section
59(1) of CPA, the power of a private person to make a complaint against any
person is subject only to statutory provisions, which says that only a
particular person or authority may make a particular complaint (as a matter of
procedure). This is also provided in section
342 of CPA. By section 143(e) of CPC,
the Court may take cognisance of an offence if information received from any
person other than a Police Officer, he has reasons to believe or suspect that
an office has been committed. (The word information
is used in the ordinary sense).
The following are instances of statutory provisions
that may limit the powers of a private person to lay a complaint:
a)
Section 98(c)(ii) of the Criminal Code provides that no proceedings for an offence of official corruption may
be commenced against a judicial officer save upon a complaint or information
signed by or on behalf of the Attorney General.
b)
Section 52(2) of the Criminal Code provides that a person shall not be
prosecuted for the offence of sedition unless the consent of the Attorney
General is obtained.
c)
Also,
by section 142(1) of the CPC, any
complaint of offences such as adultery and related offences itemised in section 387 and 389 of the Penal Code
shall only be made by the husband, father, or guardian of the woman or girl
involved.
It should be noted also that with the endorsement of the A-G, a private person can validly file an information
whereupon an application by a private person to prosecute. If the Attorney General refuses to either prosecute or endorse, an order
of mandamus may lie against him. In Fawehinmi v. Akilu (1987) 11-12 SCNJ 151; and A.G of Anambra State v. Nwobodo (1992) 7 NWLR (Pt. 256), private persons successfully
obtained an order of mandamus compelling the Attorney General to endorse and
certify their private information.
However,
in some States such
as Lagos State, the power of private person to file an information in respect
of indictable offences has been limited to the offence of perjury – Akilu v.. Fawehinmi (1989) 1 NWLR (PT. 25) 26.
In practice, private persons usually
lay their complaints at the police station.
SPECIAL PROSECUTORS
The statute creating a particular
offence may specify the person or class of persons who may institute
proceedings in respect
of the same offence – section 176(2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA), Cap C.45
LFN, 2004. The section provides that only the Attorney
General of the Federation can prosecute for offences under the Act after the
board must have
sanctioned the same – Customs and Excise v. Senator Barau (1982) NCR (Nigeria Criminal Report) 1. Also, Section 66 of the Factories Act, also vests power of prosecution in respect of factory offences on the
Inspector of Factories.
LIMITATION OF TIME TO COMMENCE CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
As a general rule, there is no time
limit within which to commence criminal proceedings against an offender. In other words, proceedings may
commence at any time after the commission of the offence. There are, however, some statutory
exceptions:
1) Sedition – Under
section 52(1) of the Criminal Code,
proceedings in respect of sedition must be commenced within six months.
2)
Treason and Treasonable Felony – Under section 43 of
the Criminal Code, criminal action in respect of persons and treasonable
felony must be commenced within two years.
3) Having Carnal Knowledge of a Girl under 16 – Contrary to sections 218 and 221 of the Criminal Code, offences under these two
sections must be commenced within two months.
4) Offences under CEMA – Under
section 176(3) of the Customs and Excise
Management Act, offences must be commenced within 7 years.
However, there
is no limit of time for the offence of conspiracy even when the substantive
offence has become statute barred – Rex v. Simmonds
(1967) 51 CRIM. APP. REP 316.
However, the protection accorded to
public officers by section 2 of the Public
Officers Protection Act is only in respect of civil actions and not
criminal proceedings. In Yabugbe v. C.O.P (1992) 4 NWLR (PT. 234) 152, the trial court held that the provision of Section
2(a) of the Public Officers Protection Act, Cap 379 only protects public
officers from civil proceedings. The Court of Appeal confirmed this decision.
On further appeal to the Supreme Court, it was held:
i.
That
it is only civil legal proceedings against public officers that is subject to
the limitation period of three months;
ii.
That
Public Officers Protection Act does not limit criminal proceedings against
public officers for criminal acts or omissions committed in their official
capacity; and
iii.
Public
officers remain liable to criminal proceedings arising from criminal acts or
omissions in the course of their duties.
MODES OF
INSTITUTING CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
The law lays down the methods by
which criminal proceedings can be instituted in courts vested with criminal
jurisdiction. The CPA and CPC both provide for ways of instituting criminal
proceedings depending on:
a)
The court before which the criminal proceedings
are instituted; and
b)
Whether the courts are in the Southern or
Northern States of Nigeria.
Criminal proceedings may be
instituted by the drafting and filing of charges in the Magistrates’ Courts and
the States’ High Courts in the Northern States and the Magistrates’ Courts in
the Southern States. However, it is instituted by drafting and filing of
information in the States’ High Courts in the Southern States.
MAGISTRATES’ COURTS
There are three methods of
commencing criminal proceedings in the Magistrate Courts viz:
1.
By bringing the person arrested without a warrant
before a Magistrate upon a charge duly signed by a Police officer;
2.
By laying a complaint before a Magistrate; and
3.
By laying a First Information Report before a
Magistrate.
BY BRINGING THE PERSON ARRESTED WITHOUT A WARRANT BEFORE A MAGISTRATE
UPON A CHARGE DULY SIGNED BY A POLICE OFFICER
This is provided under section 78(b) of CPA. It is the commonest method of commencing criminal proceedings in the
Magistrates’ Courts in the South. The Charge Sheet must contain all the
necessary particulars including:
a)
The
name of the accused person;
b)
The
offence committed;
c)
Date
of commission of the offence;
d)
The
place where the offence was committed and in case of property offences; and
e)
The
name of the person whose property is in issue.
It
should be noted that in the South, as distinct from the North, a charge in the
Magistrate Court is drafted by a Police officer whereas in the North, it is the
Magistrate who frames the charge.
BY LAYING COMPLAINT BEFORE A
MAGISTRATE
This
is provided under sections 77(a) and
78(a) of the CPA as well as section 143(d) of the CPC. This method is
common in both the CPA and the CPC States. A complaint is an allegation made
either orally or in writing that a person has committed an offence – section 1 of the CPC and section 2 of the CPA.
A complaint need not be on oath
except it is intended that by such complaint, a warrant of arrest may be issued
against the alleged offender or it is otherwise provided by statute – sections 60(2) and 23 of the CPA. The
complaint need not be in writing but where a complaint is made orally, the same
shall be reduced into
writing – section 61(1) of CPA and section 146(1) of CPC.
Before a criminal process by way of a
warrant of arrest or criminal summons is issued, there must be enough
particulars before the Magistrate showing not only that an offence had been
committed but also that the alleged offender is linked to the commission of the offence – section 61 of the CPA. Criminal summons or warrant of
arrest is issued usually based on the nature of the offence.
BY LAYING A FIRST INFORMATION REPORT BEFORE A MAGISTRATE
This
is provided under section 143(b) of CPC.
It is the commonest method of commencing
criminal proceeding in the Magistrates’ Courts in the
North and it is, indeed, peculiar to the CPC States. In other words, no State
in the South operates the First Information Report (FIR) – sections 117,
118 and 143(b) of the CPC. By
this method, a suspect arrested usually without a warrant is brought to a
Police station where the Front Desk
Officer (FDO) listens to the complaint against him usually by the Investigating
Police Officer (IPO). If the Police officer, usually the FDO, is satisfied with
the information that a prosecution will serve public interest, he receives the
complaint in writing in the form called “FIR” which is the First Information
Report Form. If he is not satisfied, he
may refuse the information and the alleged offender is released.
If
the information is received, the same shall be read over to the alleged
offender who will, upon satisfaction, sign it. The statement of the offender
may be taken at this stage. Thereafter, the suspect and the FIR are taken
before a Magistrate, who, if satisfied that the allegation is well founded,
would direct the matter to the magistrate who has jurisdiction in the matter
and if he has jurisdiction, he will continue – sections 157 to 160
of CPC.
AREA COURTS AND CUSTOMARY COURTS
In
the Area Courts and Customary Courts, the procedure is similar to what is
obtained in the Magistrates’ Courts. In the Area Court, it is usually by an FIR
and in the Customary Court by bringing the person arrested before the Customary
Court Judge upon the charge duly signed by the Police Officer.
FEDERAL HIGH COURTS
Criminal
trial in the Federal High Court is summary in nature and the mode of commencing
it is by filing a charge against the accused person in the court – section 32(2) of
the Federal High Court Act, 1973.
It
should be noted that the
charge must be signed by a law officer or by a Police officer, as the case may be – section 56(1) of
the Act; Federal Republic Of Nigeria v. Osahon (supra).
STATES HIGH COURTS
There
are five recognised methods of commencing criminal proceedings in the States
High Courts, viz:
1ST PROCEEDURE
By
information filed with the direction or consent of a High Court Judge in
respect of an indictable offence – section
340(2) of CPA.
The
consent of a
High Court Judge is a condition precedent to the filing of information in the High Courts in the South. By section 340(3)
of the CPA,
any information filed without the requisite consent is liable to be quashed. In A-G of the Federation v. Clement Isong (1986) 1 QLRN 75, the appellant was charged upon an information
containing two counts of being in possession of firearms and ammunitions,
without the consent of a High Court Judge having been first sought and
obtained. The Court quashed the information upon the application of the appellant; Also, Okafor
v. The State (1976) 1 ALL NLR (Pt. 1)
385; and The
State v. Akilu & Anor (UNREPORTED) Suit No. LD/4C/88.
However, the CPA is silent on the
procedure for bringing an application for consent. So relying on section 363 of the CPA,
recourse is usually had to the Administration of Justice (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act, 1933, precisely the Indictment (Procedure) Rules, 1971. In
other words, the Indictment Procedure Rules is made under the Act and it is an
English Act. By this provision, the
application for consent is usually in writing and is accompanied by the
following:
1)
A
copy of the proposed charge;
2)
Where
the application is brought by any other officer than the Attorney General
himself, an affidavit by the applicant to the effect that to the best of his
knowledge, the facts contained in the information are true;
3)
Unedited
Statement of the accused person; and
4)
Where
a similar application had been made previously, the fact must be disclosed as
well as the result of such application.
It should however be noted that these
rules have been abolished in England. At present, especially in Lagos State, an
ordinary letter together with the proof of evidence will do – Belgore,
JSC in Abacha v. The State
(2002) FWLR (Pt. 118) 1224, the Attorney General
of Lagos State commenced criminal proceedings by a letter written to the
Registrar of the Court. The Supreme
Court approved this procedure
Where the proof of evidence in the
opinion of the Judge discloses a prima facie case, justifying calling on
the accused for some explanation, consent will be granted – Ikomi
v. The State (1986) 3 NWLR (Pt.
28) 340 at 341; (1986) 5 SCNJ 313,
it was held that what is required to grant consent is that the Judge is
satisfied that there is a prima facie case against the accused.
Where the proof of evidence does
not disclose a prima facie case, the Judge will refuse consent. Where a Judge refuses to grant consent, the
same application can be made before another of the same High Court – Ghali
v. The State (1974) 5 SC.
Where consent is granted and the
accused person is aggrieved by the grant of consent, he may apply that the
information be quashed on the ground that the proof of evidence discloses no prima
facie case against him – Egbe v. The
State (1980) NCR 341, In, Ikomi
v. The State (supra), the Supreme Court held that what is required to
grant consent is that the Judge is satisfied that there is a prima facie case
against the accused.
It
should be noted at all times, that the determining
factor either to give consent or not is whether the proof of evidence disclose
a prima facie case against the accused.
2ND
PROCEDURE
By a charge filed with the leave
of a High Court Judge under section
185(b) of the CPC. The procedure is similar to the procedure for consent
under the CPA as it involves an ex parte hearing. The
procedure is as provided for in the Criminal Procedure (Application to Prefer a
Charge in the High Court) Rules, 1970. This is the commonest way of commencing
criminal proceedings in the High Court in the North.
The application for leave is
accompanied by the following:
a)
A copy of the Charge
sought to be preferred;
b)
Name of the
witness(es) who will testify at the trial;
c)
Proof of evidence; and
d)
The statement must
also state whether a similar application had been made previously and also that
no preliminary inquiry had been conducted in the matter – Ohwovo Riole v. Federal Republic
of Nigeria (2003) FWLR (Pt. 141) 2019 at 2033.
Although it is trite (basic) that
if one Judge refuses an application, same application may be made to another
Judge of the same High Court. A decision refusing consent is a final decision
and therefore appealable – Ghali v. The State (supra).
3RD
PROCEDURE
The third procedure is by laying
a complaint before a High Court Judge. This procedure is provided under
section 77(b)(iv) of CPA and section
143(d) of CPC. The complaint may be or may not be on oath. Unlike filing
information, consent or leave is not required here and non-indictable offences
are usually brought before High Court in the South via a complaint – In D.P.P
v. Aluko (1963) 1 ALL NLR 398, it was held that in the Southern States,
the States’ High Courts exercise jurisdiction in “any non-indictable offence
brought by complaint, among other indictable and non-indictable offences”.
4TH
PROCEDURE
By information filed in the court
after the accused has been summarily convicted for perjury – section
77(b)(ii) of the CPA. There is no similar
provision in the CPC as such.
5TH
PROCEDURE
By information filed in the High
Court by the Attorney General in his official capacity in cases where the
Attorney General in England may file such similar information – sections
77(b)(i) and 72(1) of the CPA.
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