A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Ken Nwanna, has petitioned the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, accusing the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of deliberately frustrating the trial of 15 Chinese nationals.
The Chinese suspects have been facing a seven-count charge — including forgery of residence permits, human trafficking, and conspiracy — since 2024. But they've never been arraigned in court.
Nwanna represents the nominal complainant in the case, which is being prosecuted by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The charge sheet, marked LD/24383C/24, is pending before Justice Adesanya of a Lagos High Court.
According to the petition, the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja thoroughly investigated the case before the charges were filed. The police found a prima facie case that the Chinese suspects, in connivance with others, allegedly forged Nigerian expatriate quotas and residence permits for their own use.
But since the charge was filed in 2024, the 15 Chinese suspects have consistently failed to appear in court to take their pleas. Nwanna said his client was eager for the suspects to be brought to court, but they were alarmed when they received a letter from the DPP's office.
The letter, referenced LJP/MISC/2025/21, requested a duplicate copy of the case file for "review and legal advice" — even though the DPP knows the IGP is already prosecuting the case.
"Our client is constrained to question whose interests the DPP is seeking to protect in this matter," Nwanna wrote in the petition.
He added: "We respectfully submit that any attempt whether directly or indirectly to frustrate or shield these high-profile foreign nationals from prosecution would neither serve the public interest nor the interest of justice, and may amount to an abuse of legal process."
Nwanna argued that the charges include human trafficking, a federal offence. Under Section 211(1)(a) of the Nigerian Constitution, that's beyond the purview of the state's prosecutorial powers. So the AG's office has no business interfering.
He said the defendants appear determined to evade trial "through petitions and backdoor interference" rather than submit to the court's jurisdiction.
Nwanna pleaded with the AG: "We respectively urge your office to allow the due process of law to take its full course without interference, obstruction or any appearance of compromise."
The petition comes amid growing concerns about the treatment of high-profile foreign nationals in Nigeria's justice system. Critics have often accused authorities of giving preferential treatment to wealthy foreigners, especially in cases involving economic crimes.
The Lagos State Ministry of Justice hasn't yet responded to the petition. The DPP's office also didn't comment when contacted.