Absence of digitalised database stalling justice system – C’ttee

The Monitoring Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) has raised the alarm over lack of digitalised database in the Nigerian correctional centres to assist in the dispensation criminal justice in the country.

Secretary of the monitoring committee, Sulaiman Kuku-Dawodu, said the lack of digitalised record of fingerprints of convicted criminals  other personal information in the nation’s correction facilities was hampering the dispensation of justice.

According to him, the lack of such important facility aids convicted criminals to use pseudo identity and pretend as if they have never been convicted.

Dawodu, who noted this during the bi-monthly meeting of the FCT-ACJA in Abuja, Monday, said “a digitised criminal central registry is fundamental to ensuring that the country has a credible criminal justice system”.

He said the committee will ensure that the prisons are decongested, including other law enforcement agencies’ detention facilities.

Also, the chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja branch, Folarin Aluko said lawyers have been working to ensure that the pre-trial process does not negatively impact on Nigerians.

He said the association will visit police detention centres monthly to ensure that people who are detained beyond the constitutionally-allowed time frame are released immediately.

Also, programme officer with the African Network for Economic and Environment (ANEEJ), Aitokpa Henry-Paul in his remarks, lamented the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice in the country particularly in the area of expediting proceedings to ensure that justice is delivered timely.

Leave a Reply