Parliament’s Justice and Constitutional Development Committee has expressed serious concern over the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) handling of the high-profile case against Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso.
The committee questioned the NPA following Omotoso’s recent acquittal—along with his co-accused—on 32 charges, including rape, human trafficking, and racketeering. The protracted trial, which lasted several years, ended in disappointment for many and has raised questions about prosecutorial conduct and legal strategy.
During their engagement with the NPA, committee members highlighted several shortcomings, including ineffective cross-examination and the failure to present a watertight case. NPA head Shamila Batohi conceded that there were “shortcomings” in how the case was handled and acknowledged the possibility of “errors in law” during the proceedings.
“We’ve undertaken key measures. We’ve put in place steps to explore the grounds to appeal this judgment. We continue with an investigation into the conduct of prosecutors involved in this matter. We also established a team to assess the prosecutorial performance in the Omotoso matter,” said Batohi.
The committee is expected to follow up on the outcomes of both the appeal process and the internal investigations.
VOC News
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