The federal government on Thursday said that the proposed decentralization of correctional service will accelerate the desired reforms as well as decongest Correctional Service Centres across the country.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), who stated this at the opening of a three-day National Summit on Correctional Reforms in Nigeria, noted that the federal government in its bid to introduce lasting reforms and decongest Correctional Centres has so far released over 11,000 inmates across the country.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has observed that for the reforms to be successful, focus should not be only on the legal aspect but should be encompassing as well as involving the private sector, particularly in empowering inmates with necessary skills for life after detention.

Speaking at the occasion, Malami, who noted that the event is the next phase of strategic efforts towards enduring reforms and decongestion of Correctional Centres, said with the decentralization of the service, states will be able to make meaningful contribution in the area.

“In a recent event with the State Heads of Courts and Attorneys-General, I had mentioned that in order to put in place enduring measures for effective management of Correctional Centres for the reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back to the society, the decentralization of correctional service in the country has been proposed.

“This will allow states to effectively participate through the setting up of their own Correctional Centres to manage offenders who commit state offences while the federal government will continue to manage offenders who commit federal offences,” he said.

Outside the proposed decentralization, the AGF disclosed that other efforts made by the government include the development of an Implementation strategy for the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, as well as implementation of an ICT-enabled national criminal database to promote effective information management in criminal justice administration, decongestion of correctional ventres and non-custodial measures.

“Another milestone in the national strategy towards the decongestion and reformation of correctional centres nationwide is the on-going collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Justice, relevant justice stakeholders and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with focus on implementing amnesty and decongestion for juveniles deprived of their liberty during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,” he added.

In a goodwill message, the Minister of Interior stated that proper planning for reforms of the service should start with the establishment of the “percentage of the Nigerian society that must be incarcerated” because according to him, correctional centres are the end of criminal justice.

Aregbesola further submitted that for reforms to be effective, “convicts are expected to come in broken and come out whole” and also able to easily return to society.

While claiming that government alone cannot handle the challenge, he enjoined the private sector and individuals without criminal records to partner in empowering inmates with necessary skills needed to adjust to life after incarceration.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms and Decongestion and Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello, listed the speedy passage of the Nigerian Correctional Services Bill by the National Assembly and the subsequent signing into law of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari as a major achievement of the committee.

Justice Bello said some of the critical issues to be considered in the summit included the overview of correctional reform and decongestion in Nigeria – the journey so far; best practices in correctional reforms and lessons from other jurisdictions – (emerging issues/trends in correctional reforms and decongestion); deployment of technology in the management of the correctional system in Nigeria – the perspective of the judiciary and deployment of technology in the management of the correctional system in Nigeria – the perspective of the Nigerian correctional service among others.

The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the “Harmonized FCT Sentencing (Custodial and Non-custodial) Practice Direction 2020”, which was developed by the collaborative efforts of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Reform and Decongestion, the FCT Judiciary and relevant stakeholders.

Weeks after the EndSARS protest in many parts of the country, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Thursday, inaugurated a ministerial committee to identify and recommend appropriate compensation for victims.

FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, charged the 18-man committee to identify families of those who were killed during the violence and also assess the damages both on public and private properties.

Bello, who said the ministerial assignment was sacrosanct to his Administration, also noted that the committee must turn in its report within two weeks.

He further urged members of the committee, headed by the Director-General of FCT Emergency Management Agency, Idris Abbas, to deploy its expertise and recommend strategies to forestall future occurrences of such violence.

He said: “The Committee has two (2) weeks to submit its report on the following Terms of Reference (TOR): Visit and Assess the Extent of Damage to Individual and Public Properties and Assign Value.

“Identify those Affected and ascertain their Losses. Identify lives affected and assess the loss suffered.

“Recommend Level and Modalities of Compensation. Advise the FCT Administration Generally on Measures to Forestal Future Occurrences.”

Speaking, FCT Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, who decried the number of people who were reportedly killed during the violence, called on members of the committee to see the assignment as a national service.

Adesola noted that the Administration was counting on the patriotism of the committee members to address all grievances arising from the protest.

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure ruled that the leadership of any State House of Assembly lacked the powers to place an indefinite suspension on any elected lawmaker.

It ruled that the suspension of any lawmaker could not be more than one legislative day or a plenary sitting.

Justice Ademola Bola spoke while giving judgment in a suit filed by Hon Tomide Akinribido of Zenith Labour Party, who represents Ondo West Constituency 1, in the Ondo State House of Assembly

Hon Akinribido was placed on indefinite suspension in August for gross misconduct and use of vulgar words against the Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun both in the hallowed chamber and on a WhatsApp platform.

Akinribido was one of the nine lawmakers who opposed the impeachment of the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi.

But Justice Bola in her ruling nullified the indefinite suspension placed on Akinribido.

Justice Bola held that the Assembly had no power to place an indefinite suspension on lawmakers but could only regulate actions of its members as well as met out disciplinary actions on members.

She declared that the lawmaker’s indefinite suspension was a misuse of the powers of the Assembly and therefore null and void.

However, the court dismissed the prayer of the lawmakers to award costs.

Akinribido said he would resume his legislative duty in the Assembly next week.

He said, “The meaning of the judgement is that my suspension expired at the next plenary sitting after the day i was suspended. Anyway, I will write the House that I’m resuming next week.”

In response to the many complaints by families and lawyers regarding the indiscriminate  arrests, detention and remand of suspected looters across Lagos, the Lagos State Co-ordinator of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) has written to the Commissioner of Police for Lagos State requesting for a list of all suspects in police custody so as to provide legal services for them.
This request comes after a strategic stakeholders’ meeting was held to discuss the unhealthy trend of indiscriminate arrest and the violation of the suspect’s constitutional right to a lawyer of his choice.
Recall that over 500 suspects were paraded by the Nigerian police and were remanded based on unfounded charges of arson, murder, armed robbery and other capital offences. Children as young as 15 years of age, women and girls and even senior citizens in their 70s have been charged and detained for these grave offences without access to legal aid or services. More reports are coming in that these suspects are not well fed and the environment they are staying and sleeping is dehumanizing.
The same police that where nowhere to be found during the post #Endsars violence are the same police now rounding up these suspects and charging them without doing any proper investigations. They have mixed up the likely guilty people with the innocent ones.
The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has taken the bold step of making this request and if the police fails to produce the information requested then it goes without saying that there is indeed something more to this than meets the eye.
If anything the Government says is true regarding the reformation of the police then this is an opportunity for us to see the sincerity and transparency of the Government.
Until then, we remain optimistic that the Police will indeed start to follow due process and be the police we are proud of.

The race for the White House is nearly over as voters head to the polls in the US Election 2020. 

While current polling suggests former Vice President Joe Biden has an almost insurmountable lead, Donald Trump still has a chance of securing four more years in office.

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A member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and former Vice Chairperson, NBA-YLF Abuja Branch, Sylvia Nneka Okonkwo is reported to have died on Thursday, 5th day of November, 2020.

Meanwhile, it was reported that she died as a result of a brief illness while she was on her way to the hospital on Thursday, this occurred after she complained of breathing difficulties last week.

In a statement made by Ikemefuna Onyeka, NBA Abuja Branch Secretary, she was confirmed dead on the doctor’s report.

However, it was also reported that she has been taken to Jos, Plateau State to her parents.

Sylvia’s parents are from Anambra State but live in Jos where she equally attended St. Louis in Jos.

A concerned friend of hers noted that “She had a great future before her & had a clear idea whom she wanted to be & what she wanted to do with her skills & conscience.

“Last weekend she began complaining of some breathing difficulties. It got worse overnight. She lived with her younger brother. He drove her to the hospital, where she was certified dead. That was it. Such a promising flower lost before she could bloom.”

It was further noted that she was the only child of her parents.

“No parent should bury their child, especially not at this age. Nneka was the only daughter of her parents.

“Words fail. May her old folks find comfort in some form & may the Heavens be satiated with the offering of her incredible soul”, it was stated.

In addition, as at the time of filing this report, her burial arrangement is yet to be announced by the family.

TWO Zamfara State Sharia court judges who were kidnapped by bandits about two months ago have been released after paying N1 million ransom each.

The judges, Sabiu Abdullahi and Shafi’i Jangebe were abducted on their way back to Zamfara after a trip to the Niger Republic, though, it is unclear where exactly the judges were abducted by the bandits.

Initially, the abductors had asked the relatives of the judges to pay N10 million each, but the money was not available.

When the bandits realized that, the judges could not produce the amount after several days in captivity, they finally called their relations and asked them to bring whatever they could afford.

According to a report, a brother to one of the released judges, Hassan Samaru, said the bandits negotiated with him.

“When the bandits realized that we could not meet their demand for N20 million, they finally called us and told us to bring whatever we have.

“We paid two million for the two judges and they were released,” he said.

Speaking to The ICIR, Mohammed Shehu, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in Zamfara State did not reveal where the judges were kidnapped when asked why there was no police intervention to secure their release.

“The judges were not kidnapped under the jurisdiction of the police in Zamfara state but what I can tell you is that they have been released,” he said.

Zamfara has faced problems with armed bandits stealing cattle, kidnapping for ransom and attacking communities, which has prompted some residents to form vigilante gangs.

According to a report from the West Africa Network of Peacebuilding, WANEP, from January to December 2019, armed bandits were responsible for more than 1,000 civilian deaths in the Northwest.

The report says this number is greater than civilians killed by Boko Haram over the same period but less than the total number of casualties which includes soldiers and Boko Haram members.