ACJL, Anti-Corruption: FIDA/MacArthur Strengthens Capacities of 50 lawyers in Kano

The International Federation of Women Lawyers Nigeria (FIDA) in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation has strengthened capacities of no fewer than 50 female lawyers /Members from the Bar, Bench and the Criminal Justice Sector on Administration of Criminal Justice Law, ACJL 2019 and other anti-corruption legislative frameworks in Nigeria.

Speaking at the one day event, the Kano State Program Officer, FIDA /Mac Arthur Project, Bar. Fatima Ahmad, said that as part of the On Nigeria 2.0 Project, the activity was organized for its members from across the Bar, Bench and the Criminal justice Sector to increase the possibility of effective utilization and strengthening of the Criminal Justice system to reduce corruption.

Bar. Ahmad said the project was also aimed at improving the governments ability to effectively respond to corruption by strengthening the capacity of Female Legal Professionals to actively enforce core elements of the ACJL and other Anti Corruption Legislative frameworks in the State to reduce Corruption.

A resource person and Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Law, Bayero University Kano, BUK, Dr. Nuhu Idris described the activity as a welcome development stressing the need to enhance the capacity of Legal professionals on the Anti Corruption Legal frameworks in Nigeria.

He made an example with the Judiciary as he said that 80 per cent of corrupt practices in the judicial system were carried out by the administrative supporting staff of the judiciary which tends to dent the image of the sector.

Dr. Idris stated this during a one day continuing legal education training on the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, ACJL 2019 and other anti-corruption legislative frameworks organized by International Federation of Women Lawyers Nigeria, Kano Branch , with support from the MacArthur Foundation.

According to him, It is necessary that Legal professionals are trained to actively enforce core elements of the Acjl and other Legislative legal frameworks in Nigeria. Corruption as it relates to the Criminal justice System, “the corruption in the Criminal justice system Vis a vis The Nigerian police, The Nigerian Correctional service and the Judiciary.

Taking the Judiciary as an example: About 20 per cent of the indices were from the Judiciary were 80 percent is from the Administrative. That too is high because it is an institution that we expect to be zero tolerant for corruption. A judge is a person of higher caliber and should be respected and expected to be trustworthy.

“All mechanism for the disciplinary action are there but not put to use. Most of the judicial staff are going unpunished not because there is no law in place to punish them but because the political will to punish them is lacking. That’s why people are looking at the judiciary as a system without check.

“The way out to prevent corrupt practice in the Judiciary is autonomy for the Judiciary. Let the Judiciary be absolutely independent, their financial autonomy must be granted if you want to see changes. he noted.

He continued when he said Kano State is yet to fully implement the provisions by the ACJL citing instance with the case of late school pupil, little Hanifa Abubakar where the killers were taking to the Magistrate court by police with First Information Report, FIR.

“By May, 2019 when the ACJL law was enacted in Kano State, we are supposed to have changed our method of presenting suspect in court especially in such high profile cases, murder, robbery, rape … If the police wants to take such person to court, they shouldn’t do that with FIR but go with an application that we are conducting investigation on this person and so we need time to complete investigation. Because by constitution we can’t detain him in the cell more than two days, we want the court to remand him for so and so days to enable us conclude our investigation.

“Kano are yet to come to terms with the provision of law. They are still trying and battling to come to terms with the provision,” Idris however noted that more activities and step down trainings should be conducted for the Criminal Justice Sector.