A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chinonye Obiagwu, has advocated more funding for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to enable it effectively discharge its mandate, as well as monitor the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) across the country.
The legal luminary, who was a guest lecturer at a zoom training held recently for staff of NHRC entitled, “ACJA as Legislative Tool for the Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria,” noted that it has become increasingly imperative for government to properly fund the Commission, given its expanded mandate and oversight responsibilities on other government agencies.
In a press release issued by the Assistant Director Public Affairs, NHRC, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, Obiagwu who is also the National Coordinator of Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), cited the role of the Commission in ensuring the smooth implementation of ACJA as contained in Sections 33 of the Act which mandates the NHRC and relevant stakeholders to request from the Attorney General of the Federation reports of cases of all suspects arrested without warrant.
He quoted Section 33 (1) of ACJA, which provides that “An officer in charge of a police station or an official in charge of an agency authorised to make arrest shall, on the last working day of every month, report to the nearest magistrate the cases of all suspects arrested without warrant within the limits of their respective stations or agency whether the suspects have been admitted to bail or not.
“The NHRC is empowered by the ACJA to monitor the compliance or otherwise of the monthly report of the cases of all suspects arrested without warrant by the Police or other authorised agencies to ascertain whether they have been admitted to bail or not, and to take the necessary action when the need arises.”
Earlier in his opening remark, the Executive Secretary of the Commission Tony Ojukwu enjoined staff to good use of the opportunity of the training saying it will open new areas of knowledge for them to discharge of their duties effectively.
