The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Chairman, Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC), Justice Ishaq Bello,has warned that the incessant arrest of traders by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), police and other security agencies will push them to higher crime.
Bello who is also the Chairman Presidential Committee on Prison Monitoring, made this remarks at the Dissemination Workshop on Baseline Report on Decriminalization and Declassification of Petty Offences in Nigeria in Abuja organised by the Prisoners Rehabilitation And Welfare Action (PRAWA) in collaboration with the Open Society Initiative of West Africa (OSIWA).
He decried a situation where petty offenders whose wares are not up to N250 are hurled into incarceration and fined N5,000.
Bello, while calling for redefining of a more descent way of punishing offenders, described the present practice as dehumanizing and wicked.
According to him, arresting children who are helping their parents to sell without which they cannot feed and tagging them as ex-convict will stigmatize them in future.
The country director of OSIWA, Jude Ilo, said for the law to thrive, it ought to provide justice for both the weak and the strong in the society, else it will be considered it is not functioning well and there is no justice.
He said the challenge with petty offences is that is open to abuse and the cost of enforcing the law is unduly high. According to him, those arrested are kept in jail, fed and transported to the courts all at government expense.
“It doesn’t make economic sense to keep them incarcerated, it is needless and doesn’t add to the society. It’s presents our society as uncaring, etc.
“Like I said earlier, it can only be justice if the standard for the best of us is extended to the least of us.”
Executive Director, PRAWA, Dr. Uju Agomoh, in her remarks stressed for the stakeholders which include the media, law enforcement agencies and those at the receiving end of descrimilization of petty offenses to work together to find a more acceptable way of doing this.
Agomoh stressed the importance seeing the connection between poverty and criminal justice system.
“We have to work against justice being bought,” she said.
Also speaking, the Head of Legal Department, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Jude Azi, noted that the challenge is not about the existing laws but to ensure that law enforcement are done with human face.
Azi however, said that the law enforcement agents ought to be well trained adding that AWPB are “willing to collaborate with PRAWA for training of about 300 staff”.
He also said findings revealed that petty offenders are willing to pay the fine and that some of the minors are sponsored by those with criminal intent who are quick to pay these fines.
“Findings revealed many do not want to work even if they are taken to skilled acquisition center,” he said.
He stressed that while first offenders are allowed to go, but if arrested second or third time, they will be prosecuted.