By Emeka Chiaghanam
The Anambra State Government has
introduced a plea bargain option for people facing criminal trials, in a move
aimed at reducing court delays, easing pressure on correctional centres and
speeding up the delivery of justice.
The initiative, however, excludes defendants standing trial
for murder, kidnapping, armed robbery
and rape, offences the government says will remain outside the general
plea bargain arrangement.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, announced the
policy in a directive to prosecutors, describing it as part of ongoing reforms
to improve the criminal justice system.
Under the new arrangement, defendants facing eligible
offences must be informed of their right to consider a plea bargain before
their plea is taken.
The directive, dated July 22, 2026, is based on Section 156
of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Anambra State, 2022, as well
as the constitutional powers of the Attorney-General.
It requires prosecuting counsel or officers to issue a
prescribed Plea Bargain Form to defendants either before or at the time a
charge is served, or at any stage before the defendant enters a plea.
The defendant is then expected to indicate whether they wish
to pursue the option by completing and signing the form before submitting it to
the prosecutor or the Ministry of Justice.
The policy is designed to provide an alternative route for
resolving eligible criminal cases without allowing them to remain in court
indefinitely.
Nweke warned that failure to comply with the directive could
have consequences for the prosecution.
He said any charge or information initiated or prosecuted
without the required plea bargain form being issued to an eligible defendant
could be considered contrary to the directive and may be discontinued.
The Attorney-General also placed safeguards around any
agreement reached between prosecutors and defendants.
He directed that plea bargain agreements must be signed,
countersigned or approved in writing by the head of the legal department of the
relevant prosecuting agency.
Where the case is being handled by law officers from the
Ministry of Justice, the agreement must receive the approval of the
Attorney-General or an officer authorised by him.
The directive makes clear that the arrangement does not
ordinarily extend to cases involving rape, kidnapping, armed robbery and
murder.
Nweke, however, stated that no plea bargain could be entered
into in respect of those offences without the express approval of the Attorney-General.
The government said the initiative forms part of its wider
effort to reform the administration of criminal justice in the state,
particularly by tackling congestion in courts and correctional facilities.
The move also reflects Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s broader reform agenda, which places emphasis on
improving the efficiency of public institutions and making justice more
accessible and timely.
Governor Soludo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Dr Ebuka Onyekwelu, said the
initiative was consistent with the administration’s commitment to judicial
reform.
Onyekwelu said the governor had pledged in his manifesto to
work with the legislature and judiciary to improve the effectiveness of the
justice system.
He added that the administration’s Solution Agenda included
working with the judiciary to strengthen and modernise judicial processes
across Anambra.
For defendants in eligible cases, the policy could mean a
faster resolution of cases that might otherwise spend years moving through the
courts.
For the government, the larger challenge will be ensuring that the new
system delivers speed without compromising fairness, victims’ rights or the
integrity of criminal justice.
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