The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, says all is set to launch the pilot nationwide deployment and use of Virtual Court Proceedings in Correctional Centres in Nigeria.
The Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, to the Attorney General, Dr Umar Gwandu, disclosed this in a press statement in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
According to the statement, “Malami is to launch the pilot project for the deployment and use of Virtual Court Sitting facilities at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja on Monday the 6th day of December 2021.”
Expected at the occasion are; “The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Controller – General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Halilu Nababa as well as members of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms and Decongestion.
“The Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms and Decongestion, Leticia Ayoola-Daniels working with the representative of the supporting organization, Mrs Oyinye Ndubuisi of the UNDP are working assiduously to ensure achievement of the laudable project,“ the statement read in part.
According to Dr Gwandu “The initiative is one of the strategic interventions by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and indeed the Federal Government towards engendering lasting reforms in the Criminal Justice Sector in Nigeria.”
He said the development of the Consolidated Sentencing Guidelines (Custodial and Non-Custodial) Practice Directions, 2020.
The Ministry in collaboration with the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms and Decongestion expedite engagement with the Nigerian Correctional Centres to make it possible for evidence of suspects in custody to be taken without their physical presence in court to avoid disruptions.
The statement added that, “The development is part of the process to implement the Post-Covid-19 Justice Sector Plan marshalled out by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in April 2020.”
PIAK
