Lagos State on Thursday said the inability of the Nigeria Police Force to ascertain the mental state of an alleged cannibal, Mr. Clifford Orji, was responsible for the delay in prosecuting him.



The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Supo Sasore, (SAN), said Orji, who had been detained since February 1999, was in police custody while the state government remained the prosecutor.



Sasore, who briefed journalists in Alausa on the recent award of Public Sector Legal Team of the Year conferred on the ministry by the Nigerian Legal Awards, said there was a need to assess Orji’s mental ability to stand trial as allegations against him were offences against the state.



“It has been difficult to convince the police that they need to provide the court with documents on Orji’s state of health,” the commissioner added.



Sasore said with the recent awards, the Ministry of Justice was poised to serve members of the public more efficiently.



According to him, the ministry is striving toward a higher level of performance and will do everything possible to remain above all other justice ministries in the country.



He noted, “Though we operate in the most challenging legal environment in Africa, we will continue to make efficiency our watchword. The award of the best legal team in the country attests to the dedication, devotion and hard work of all members of staff of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.



“We have our challenges, which are peculiar to the environment we operate in, but we try our best to close all gaps. A new standard has been set in the ministry; we will ensure that we do more.”



He said efforts were being put in place to improve the services of the state’s Probate Division, adding that there were plans to create a specialised unit that would deal with non-contentious probate matters.


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