Centre Worries Over Gaps In Criminal Justice System

The Public and Private Development Centre has warned that Nigeria’s criminal justice system is grappling with deep-rooted challenges that frustrate access to justice.

The organisation identified pretrial detention, delays in case management and weak implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act as pressing concerns.

Chimezie Aniekwe, Head of Programmes, disclosed this in Abuja during a Civil Society Coordination and Communication Meeting convened to strengthen collaboration among groups in the justice sector.
The PPDC organised the engagement, which was supported by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

“These issues not only strain our institutions but also undermine the rights and dignity of countless Nigerians,” Aniekwe declared.

According to him, PPDC serves as the civil society representative on the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee and acts as the secretariat for all CSOs implementing the Police Duty Solicitor Scheme.

He stressed that the insights and feedback gathered from the meeting would form the basis of joint advocacy briefs for submission to key criminal justice institutions and contributions at the ACJMC‘s statutory quarterly sessions.

“Our shared goal is clear — a more efficient, transparent and humane justice system for all Nigerians,” Aniekwe added.