Stakeholders lament impediments to implementation of ACJL in Kwara

Lack of a functional and effective implementation committee has been identified as one of the bottlenecks against full operation of Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJL) in Kwara.

One of the guest speakers at the
workshop on the ACJL in Ilorin, a Professor of Law, University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulqadir Ibrahim Abikan, put the implementation rate of ACJL in the state at around 20 per cent due to fragmented and uncoordinated efforts.

He said though robust and audacious, past efforts towards its full application in Kwara have been made individually without formal coordination.

Towards this end, the Professor of Law, University of Ilorin, observed that a proper structure is necessary to ensure that justice is served efficiently and fairly.

He, therefore, called on the Chief Judge of the state to take a proactive role in convening regular meetings of the monitoring committee which he said was pivotal to the workability of the laws in the state.

“The CJ needs to take the lead. The law has established the committee, but it is up to the chairman to call a meeting and start the work. Once the committee starts working, the justice system will function more efficiently.

“Magistrates will visit police stations, reports will be made, and during meetings, stakeholders will discuss what has been done and what needs to be improved.

“We have not established the committee and magistrates have not been appointed. It won’t be coordinated if every magistrate just walks into police stations randomly,” he said, stressing the need for proper coordination between the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.

Professor Abikan assured that if the law is fully implemented, the criminal justice system will improve significantly.

“If all these things are done, our criminal justice system will be near perfect, and those who intend to commit offenses will think twice because of the monitoring networks in place,” he said.

Abikan, who countered the notion that ACJL was over-pampering criminal suspects, added that Nigerians must not forget that accused persons remain innocent until proven otherwise.

He criticised the practice of detaining individuals for extended periods without trial and condemned the practice of handcuffing high profit suspects just to embarrass them.

While emphasising the role of ICT in speeding up justice delivery as contained in the ACJL, the guest speaker urged legal practitioners and non-governmental organisations to prioritise public orientation on its provisions.

He frowned against the use of direct criminal complaints to punish people by some influential people and advocated that it should be addressed.

Despite the existence of the law and its provisions, Abikan lamented that the necessary structures for its implementation are not in place.

“We have not established the committee and magistrates have not been designated. It won’t be coordinated if every magistrate just walks into police stations randomly,” he said, stressing the need for proper coordination between the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.

In his remarks, the co-guest speaker, Jimoh Adebimpe Mumini (SAN) represented by the Head of the Public Law Department, University of Ilorin, Prof Abdulfatai Sambo, stressed the importance of coordination among justice sector stakeholders.

He cautioned that poor synergy among the stakeholders could lead to flawed prosecutions, miscarriages of justice, and human rights violations.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Director of LawHub, Mr. Osita Chukwuma, urged stakeholders to escalate the deliberations and allow it to cascade to the relevant quarters.

“It is important to state that undoubtedly, there will be challenges ahead, however, where the will is strong and commitment reassuring, there is a huge likelihood of overcoming these challenges.

“Law Hub is thus committed to supporting Kwara and other states in the federation to achieve remarkable landmark success stories”, he said, represented by the centre’s Programme Officer, Maryam Ibrahim.

The event gathered key stakeholders from the Justice sector to assess realisation and impact of the laws in the state.

ACJA, which is crucial to Nigeria’s justice reform, was a focal point during the workshop’s training sessions and discussions.

Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Nigeria Police Force, Correctional Services, Department of State Services (DSS), and Legal Aid amongst others.

The programme was organised by LawHub with the support of the MacArthur Foundation and focuses on popularising and disseminating the ACJL in Kwara State.

Law Hub successfully implemented the first phase of the project in six states namely Nasarawa, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Enugu, and Adamawa.

It also successfully implemented the second phase in Bauchi, Delta, Anambra, and Kaduna.