Wednesday, October 1, 2025 - The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), on Tuesday, said the state recovered the sum of N1.5bn in outstanding taxes from a commercial bank through enforcement actions taken by the Ministry of Justice.

Pedro, who marked his second year in office with a press briefing in Alausa, said the recovery was part of broader efforts to strengthen fiscal governance.

He explained that the establishment of revenue courts at both the High Court and magistrates’ court levels, alongside a dedicated Revenue Recovery Unit, had begun yielding results.

“Many companies have responded to our pre-action protocol notices and have started paying or made arrangements to pay their outstanding liabilities,” Pedro said.

Pedro said the Ministry of Justice had been repositioned to deliver faster legal services, strengthen access to justice, and protect the rights of Lagosians.

He stressed that justice in Lagos “is not an abstract ideal but a living reality, shaping governance, protecting rights, and driving inclusive economic growth.”

One of the landmark wins under his tenure, Pedro noted, was Lagos’ decisive victory at the Supreme Court in the lottery case, where the court ruled that lotteries and games of chance fell under the powers of states, and not the Federal Government.

On criminal justice, Pedro cited the successful conviction of Andrew Nice in the case bordering on the BRT rape and murder of Miss Bamise, describing it as proof of the government’s resolve to pursue justice without fear or favour.

“To address delays in civil litigation, the ministry also pushed the Administration of Civil Justice Bill, which proposes timelines to conclude cases within 18–24 months, stricter adjournment rules, and punitive costs of N1m for frivolous suits,” he said.

In the criminal justice system, Pedro stated that 361 plea bargain applications were submitted, out of which 314 were approved and 37 were declined.

Pedro said that in the last two years, 263 inmates were released under the governor’s prerogative of mercy, and 4,800 offenders carried out community service sentences.