The Justice Development Peace and Caritas Initiatives (JDPCI), a civil society organization, has urged media support for the advocacy of deepened Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) implementation and benefits to the society.
The advocacy group noted that strict adherence to the full implementation of ACJL would help in the decongestion of the Nigerian Correctional Centres across the states.
The Executive Director of JDPCI, Very Rev. Fr. Fidelis Arhedo, made the call at a roundtable discussion with journalists in Edo state on ‘Effective Reporting of the Implementation of ACJL’.
The Very Rev. Fr. Arhedo expressed concerns that lack of public and judicial awareness regarding these progressive legal provisions has resulted in severe overcrowding in Edo state’s correctional centres.
He stated that the public perception of the justice system in Edo state is increasingly negative, with many viewing it as too lenient on criminals or disproportionately harsh on minor offenders.
The ED noted that despite the progressive provisions enshrined in the ACJL act—such as plea bargaining suspended sentencing, parole, and non-custodian sentencing sections, the options remain largely underutilized.
He explained that plea bargaining was designed to speed up legal proceedings, reduce court backlogs, and save resources but pointed out that it is however “infrequently used in Edo state due to misconceptions that it is a backdoor for the wealthy to evade justice.”
The Rev. Father said the misconception prevents the fair and effective application of plea bargaining, particularly for indigent defendants who could benefit from faster resolutions.
He explained that over-reliance on custodial sentences, even for minor offences, leads to prolonged pre-trial detention and human rights violations, noting that “the Nigerian Correctional Service (2023), Edo state correctional facilities are currently housing inmates at double their intended capacity.
