I am Tijani Abdullah Aderemi, a clinician at Caliphate Law Clinic.
My
visit to prison gave me an experience I never had in my life. I had an
experience of a prisoner who was arrested and sent to prison but did not
know what he had done. There I met a man who committed an offence he
did not know it was a crime.
It was there I
learnt some people are still suffering from ignorance of law. Though, it
is not excusable in law that one has committed an offence because he is
an ignorance of it. This is in line with the legal doctrine, "ignoratia
juris non excusat", but the truth is that some people are still
suffering from the hardship and this strict doctrine. Though all laws of
the federation is codified but how many people get this not to talk of
knowing what is there. I suggest that there should be an intervention on
this strict doctrine because many are still suffering from it.
Being
a clinician, I feel happy to be part of the educative and humanitarian
project. I have wanted in my life to be a human right activist, I guess
my ambition and mission starts from school. I feel happy that I have
started pursuing my dream. Also in developing my skill of communication
and counselling, I feel fulfilled.
It is
confusing that in a prison originally meant for criminals, how comes
some criminals have not committed any crime. I expect criminals in the
prison but I met those with clean hands. Many were arrested for bailable
crimes but were not bailed. Suspect were treated like criminals.
Constitution gave right of innocent but many were denied this right.
Offenders have spent more than the punishment arrested for because they
were not tried. No wonder our prisons are congested. If innocent man
stay long in a place of criminals, then criminal will be doubled. All
this request for special intervention for appropriate administration of
Justice.
This type of visitation should not
end here, all human right activists should work together and advocate
against all form of injustice in our Nation.
Comments
Post a Comment