DPP deploys new attorneys

While flagging off the new state attorneys on Thursday, October 5, 2023, the DPP, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, exhorted them to demonstrate integrity, faithfulness, and hard work while carrying out their constitutional responsibility.

The DPP assured them that they would be serving the people who gave them prosecutorial authority. She also warned them that because they were on probation, their appraisal would be subjective. The deployment of state attorneys is effective immediately.

The additional 100 government prosecutors are expected to close the existing staffing shortfall, resulting in improved service delivery. In addition, the DPP has transferred 12 incumbent prosecutors.

Prosecutors examine evidence, press criminal charges, provide legal advice, and work with investigators such as police to gather evidence.

Prior to recruiting, the DPP's office had roughly 300 prosecutors, but the permitted staffing structure is 853.

Despite the appointment of 100 additional prosecutors, the DPP claims that the staffing shortfall remains significant since the Judiciary is constantly receiving new judicial officers, resulting in the mismatch.

"The Judiciary has been recruiting nearly every month, so the staffing gap remains severe. For example, in some stations, we used to have one state attorney against six judicial officers, so we have taken roughly three state attorneys in such stations,” DPP Abodo explained.

She added, “The ideal situation should be that the prosecutors should be more than the judicial officers but as it is as of now, the judicial officers are more and actually, we are not present in more than 41 districts even with these 100 new ones.”