By MAYOWA adeniran |
As a result of the cases of police brutality which birthed the #EndSARS protests, the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee, (ACJMC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a ‘Special Intervention Fund for the Criminal Justice Sector’ to cater for all the institutions in the criminal justice sector across the country.
ACJMC made the call in Communiqué issued at the end of a meeting on Emergency Steps for the Reform of the Criminal Justice Sector in Nigeria by ACJMC and Criminal Justice Stakeholders.
The group explained that the Special Intervention Fund will be contributed to by the Federal and State Governments, private individuals, corporate entities and international partners/donors adding that, “the fund will include fiscal and or specific infrastructural procurement.”
ACJMC also noted that “there will be a legal framework to implement and manage the fund by means of an Executive Bill by the Honorable Attorney General of the Federation to the National Assembly.”
The group had identified some of the challenges facing the criminal justice sector, stressing that, “Lack of funding for the criminal justice sector, especially the Police Force, Prosecution, Judiciary and Correctional Service; Dilapidated state of Police detention and correctional service facilities across the country;
“Total absence of requisite facilities, equipment and adequate training for the Police and other law enforcement agencies nation- wide, Lack of adequate prosecutors and support for witness allowances, to prosecute offences resulting in congestion of Court`s dockets and detention facilities.
“Lack of cooperation amongst the police and other criminal justice stakeholders, leading to suspicions and distrust amongst the organs of administration of criminal justice and Loss of confidence by members of the public in the administration of criminal justice based on the issues highlighted.
They also called for the decongestion of SARS detention facilities nationwide and other police detention facilities as well as the provision of adequate manpower for proseecutors.
“The inadequacy of prosecutors nationwide should be averted through provision of manpower for the prosecution team.
“A government funded scheme should be created to engage more prosecutors for the government at a seemingly low cost rate.
The group also recommended the passage of the Prosecution of offences Bill, 2020 which seeks to professionalize prosecution service.
