By Mercy Onyenweli
As part of activities to round off its project on strengthening the administration of criminal justice in Edo State, the Centre for Law Enforcement Education in Nigeria (CLEEN Foundation), with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme and funding from the European Union, has held a 3 days training section for security personnels on the effective implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) and the need to uphold the rights of suspects while carrying out their duties.
The training which was held in Benin City, brought together representatives of various security agencies and focused on enhancing compliance with the ACJL and promoting professionalism in law enforcement operations.
Delivering a presentation on the day one of the training with the theme, “Strengthening the Administration of Criminal Justice Process Through Effective Implementation,” Professor Emmanuel Obarisiagbon stressed the importance of treating suspects with dignity and respect until proven guilty by a competent court of law.
According to him, one of the major challenges confronting Nigeria’s criminal justice system is the failure of some actors within the system to respect suspects’ rights to fair hearing and speedy trial.
He noted that concerns have continued to trail the implementation of plea bargaining, which was originally introduced to facilitate quick dispensation of justice but is now being subjected to abuse in some instances.
Professor Obarisiagbon also raised concerns over what he described as the continued involvement of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in matters outside its statutory jurisdiction, noting that complaints have been made regarding the commission’s interrogation of suspects in cases that ordinarily fall within the purview of the police.
He further lamented the absence of a comprehensive digital database for suspects and convicted criminals, stating that despite advances in technology, security agencies and the judiciary still rely heavily on prosecuting counsels to determine whether a suspect has previous criminal records.
The legal scholar emphasized that the right to life and other fundamental rights of suspects must be preserved at all times.
He urged security personnel to grant suspects access to their lawyers immediately upon request during arrest, noting that such cooperation would facilitate speedy trial and justice delivery.
The interactive session provided an opportunity for participants to share experiences and challenges encountered in the course of implementing the ACJL.
Some of the security personnel present stated that they have been applying the provisions of the law in their daily operations, particularly in the use of plea bargaining for cases requiring prolonged investigations.
They explained that where suspects need to be detained beyond the constitutionally prescribed period, officers obtain court orders permitting detention for specified periods pending investigation. According to them, such procedures are often misunderstood by members of the public who perceive them as unlawful detention.
The officers also expressed concerns that while civil society organisations frequently advocate for the rights of suspects, little attention is paid to the rights and welfare of security personnel who face risks while carrying out their responsibilities.
They appealed for greater understanding from the public, stressing that security personnel are Nigerians with families and should also be treated with dignity and respect.
Funding was identified as one of the major challenges affecting effective law enforcement operations.
The participants noted that inadequate resources continue to hamper their ability to perform optimally and warned that without improved funding, the gains of capacity-building programmes may not be fully realized.
They therefore appealed to the European Union and other development partners to support efforts aimed at improving the operational capacity of security agencies in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, the Program Officer of CLEEN Foundation, Edo Office, Mrs Blessing Eromon, highlighted the various interventions undertaken by the organisation and its partners under the project, including radio awareness programmes, visits to custodial and detention facilities, market sensitization campaigns, and training for key stakeholders on the implementation of the ACJL and reporting of violations of human rights abuse by law enforcement and security agents using the innovative IYOBOR App.
She urged participants to step down the knowledge acquired during the training to junior officers in their respective agencies to ensure wider compliance with the law across the state.
Responding to questions from participants, Mrs Eromon disclosed that international development partners remain concerned about the slow pace of attitudinal change despite sustained sensitisation campaigns and capacity-building initiatives aimed at reducing human rights violations.
She expressed optimism that continuous awareness creation, training programmes, and the introduction of the Iyobor App for reporting human rights abuses would contribute significantly to addressing violations and promoting accountability.
The event ended with participants pledging to apply the knowledge gained from the training in their daily operations and to contribute to the effective implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law(ACJL) in Edo State.