PLEA BARGAIN ANDANTI-GRAFTWARINNIGERIA

Abstract

It is no longer in doubt that Nigeria is corrupt. Corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of all spheres  of live  in  Nigeria.  If  corruption  is  allowed  to  thrive,  it  will  ultimately  consume  Nigeria.  Successive governments in Nigeria harp on the menace of corruption in the society and made concerted efforts towards curbing it or at least reducing it to the barest minimum. In a bid to archive this onerous task, crime fighting agencies where established  such  as,  Economic  and  Financial  Crimes  Commission  (EFCC),  Independent  Corrupt  Practices  and other   Related   Offences   (ICPC).   These   agencies   are   working   hard   to   eradicatecorruption   using   different approaches. One of which is Plea Bargaining. The concept of Plea Bargaining is not known in the Nigerian Legal System until 2004 when EFCC Act came into effect. Plea Bargain is a concept employed by the state in high profile cases to facilitate a negotiated soft landing platform for accused persons who are willing to save the time and hung expense  for  the  system  through  a  guilty  plea  and  payment  of  compensation  for  forfeiture  of  proceeds  of  crime  to avoid  publicity  and  attendant image  crises.  EFCC  adopted  this  approach  with  a  view  to  fighting  corruption  in Nigeria.  The  issue  is  will  the  introduction  of  Plea  Bargain  in  the  Nigeria  Criminal  Justice  Administration  attain justice  for  all  in  Nigeria.  This  paper  examined  the  propriety  of  employing  this  crime  fighting  system  to  fight corruption  and  other  related  offences  in  Nigeria.  It  proffers  solution  and  concludes  that  Plea  Bargain  in  the Nigerian Legal System is anathema to anti-graft campaign in Nigeria.  It’s sustenance in the Nigerian Legal System would only be a scratch on the surface in the fight against corruption in Nigeria and never the solution.