Kehinde Ganiat Yetunde, University of Ilorin Law Clinic

 Kehinde Ganiat Yetunde,  400 level student of the University of Ilorin, clinician at the
University of Ilorin Law Clinic. 

I took part in the NULAI/OSIWA PRE-TRIAL DETAINEE PROJECT. Being a part of this project has helped me learn a lot and has also helped shape my view of our criminal justice system in Nigeria.

WHAT I LEARNT

During the course of the project, I learnt new things about advocacy, legal writing and research, bail applications and client interviews. I also visited the prisons and this has helped broaden my horizon on
the poor state of the criminal justice system in Nigeria. It is rather disheartening that a lot of detainees
have never actually been arraigned before a court and have no hope getting out soon due to lack of legal representation, also, many of them who have their trials ongoing have had their stay in custody extended unnecessarily due to avoidable errors in filing court processes or other minor technicalities. I got to know that some of them were arrested in lieu of the actual offender, however, I am happy that
the new ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUCTICE ACT has helped solve this problem. I learnt that besides the right to freedom of movement, prisoners also have as much rights as free citizens do. I also learnt about filing court processes and the nature of court proceedings. In all, the project has helped me understand a lot more about procedural law.

SELF REFLECTION
I have become better at advocacy and legal research due to taking part in the project.