Yes, because it is one of the reasons why the court cases seems to be so traffic and elongated in nature. Having in mind the number of people in the Nigeria prison... It is a likelihood that not all of them have been tried as to the charge they are in prison for.
Yes I have. The little experience ABU Law Clinic exposed me to, in respect of Prison Pretrial Inmates, shows that many innocent people are suffering in prison not because they have actually committed any crime. Some end up being in prison either by reason of their failure to succumb to bribery demand by the police when the matter was reported or the malicious instigation of those who make report to police as a means of settling scores while some inmates are victims of circumstances. The last time we (ABU Law Clinic) visited the Kaduna Convicts Prison, we discovered that out of 1000+ total number of prison inmates, 800+ were awaiting trial. it goes to show that our criminal justice system is not working well. Using Zaria Prison and Kaduna Convict Prison as a case study in respect of pretrial detainees, I think the whole blame is on the police who use prison as dumping ground. they simply draft First Information Report (FIR) and take suspects to magistrates for cognizance during which they normally obtain order of remand. What happens next after that is stories. the inmates spend years in prison without being formally charged to court.
It is quite saddening that some people found themselves in prison on matters that are purely civil. what the police does is to just maneuver and forcefully connect civil matters to criminal matters like cheating, criminal breach of trust, etc
By my estimation based on the briefs we (ABU Law Clinic) have been taking in Zaria Prison, 60% (if not more) of the inmates were there on the order of a single judge. That is to say, police have the propensity for involving in "forum shopping". the judge in question tends to be ready to grant their prayers anytime they appear before him. So whenever the police wants to obtain order of remand, despite the number of courts close by, they rather rush to a far away magistrate where there prayer will easily be granted irrespective of reasonable cause.
so the criminal justice system, particularly the police arm, is actually not working well. after subjecting suspects suspects to torture in diverse forms, they eventually dump them in prisons and forget about them.
Thanks to our (ABU Law Clinic) indefatigable coordinators. They have been working tirelessly with us. There lives are actually exemplary. They are not only working for humanity, they guide we students on the practical aspect of the law. Example, many of us (Clinicians) can draft motion for bail, application for FIR in various courts, can interview clients not only in prison, but also anywhere NEARLY perfectly.
I am much more concerned with the number of awaiting trial detainees in Kaduna Convict Prisons. However, we hope that our proposed public lecture on Administration of Criminal Justice Act which the relevant personnel of the criminal justice system will be in attendance, the number of inmates admitted everyday may reduce. The ongoing Prison Pretrial Detainees Project actually came at the right time.
O. G. Chukkol, ABU Law Clinic, Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
Yes, because it is one of the reasons why the court cases seems to be so traffic and elongated in nature.
ReplyDeleteHaving in mind the number of people in the Nigeria prison... It is a likelihood that not all of them have been tried as to the charge they are in prison for.
From Ebonyi State law Clinic
ReplyDeleteHello Claire, can your share a story about your experience working on pre-trial detainee cases.
ReplyDeleteThose awaiting trials are those that are much in the prison,they are like more than half of the inmates.It really need to be improved.
ReplyDeleteYes I have. The little experience ABU Law Clinic exposed me to, in respect of Prison Pretrial Inmates, shows that many innocent people are suffering in prison not because they have actually committed any crime. Some end up being in prison either by reason of their failure to succumb to bribery demand by the police when the matter was reported or the malicious instigation of those who make report to police as a means of settling scores while some inmates are victims of circumstances. The last time we (ABU Law Clinic) visited the Kaduna Convicts Prison, we discovered that out of 1000+ total number of prison inmates, 800+ were awaiting trial. it goes to show that our criminal justice system is not working well. Using Zaria Prison and Kaduna Convict Prison as a case study in respect of pretrial detainees, I think the whole blame is on the police who use prison as dumping ground. they simply draft First Information Report (FIR) and take suspects to magistrates for cognizance during which they normally obtain order of remand. What happens next after that is stories. the inmates spend years in prison without being formally charged to court.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite saddening that some people found themselves in prison on matters that are purely civil. what the police does is to just maneuver and forcefully connect civil matters to criminal matters like cheating, criminal breach of trust, etc
By my estimation based on the briefs we (ABU Law Clinic) have been taking in Zaria Prison, 60% (if not more) of the inmates were there on the order of a single judge. That is to say, police have the propensity for involving in "forum shopping". the judge in question tends to be ready to grant their prayers anytime they appear before him. So whenever the police wants to obtain order of remand, despite the number of courts close by, they rather rush to a far away magistrate where there prayer will easily be granted irrespective of reasonable cause.
so the criminal justice system, particularly the police arm, is actually not working well. after subjecting suspects suspects to torture in diverse forms, they eventually dump them in prisons and forget about them.
Thanks to our (ABU Law Clinic) indefatigable coordinators. They have been working tirelessly with us. There lives are actually exemplary. They are not only working for humanity, they guide we students on the practical aspect of the law. Example, many of us (Clinicians) can draft motion for bail, application for FIR in various courts, can interview clients not only in prison, but also anywhere NEARLY perfectly.
I am much more concerned with the number of awaiting trial detainees in Kaduna Convict Prisons. However, we hope that our proposed public lecture on Administration of Criminal Justice Act which the relevant personnel of the criminal justice system will be in attendance, the number of inmates admitted everyday may reduce. The ongoing Prison Pretrial Detainees Project actually came at the right time.
O. G. Chukkol, ABU Law Clinic, Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.