Description
Reform Description
The challenge seeks to address long-standing systemic issues within Nigeria’s criminal justice system, particularly those affecting suspects and pre-trial detainees. In Kaduna State and across the country, individuals are frequently subjected to arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention without trial, and various forms of inhumane treatment, including torture. As at 9th May 2025 Total Inmate Population stands at 81,037 pf which 66% totalling 53,588 are waiting trails. It is important to note this statistics is only from one Law enforcement agencies among over 15 agencies with arrest and prosecutional mandate.
These practices not only violate fundamental human rights but also erode public trust in the justice system. Despite the existence of legal frameworks meant to protect these rights, such as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) enacted in 2015 and the Law in 2017, implementation remains weak, and coordination among justice sector actors is poor.
Those most affected by these issues are suspects, pre-trial detainees, and their families. These individuals often face decades in detention awaiting trial, deprived of liberty without a formal conviction nor trail. Their families suffer emotional distress, financial hardship, and social stigma. The broader society also bears the consequences. Overcrowded detention centers—such as police stations, prisons, and facilities run by other law enforcement agencies—pose serious public health risks, serving as breeding grounds for pandemics and communicable diseases. Moreover, widespread corruption, impunity, and procedural delays weaken the rule of law and fuel public disillusionment with state institutions.
The impact is most severe during arrest and the initial stages of detention and prosecution, when suspects are most vulnerable and safeguards are least enforced. This vulnerability is compounded by limited awareness of rights among detainees, a lack of consequences for rights violations, and inadequate institutional capacity and funding to ensure compliance with legal standards.
Although the ACJL introduced significant reforms in 2017, the problem of prolonged pre-trial detention and related abuses predates this law and continues to persist. The lack of effective implementation, coordination, and accountability has allowed these challenges to remain entrenched. As a result, the impact on affected individuals and the wider society has been both continuous and, in many cases, lifelong.
Problem(s) Addressed by Reform
Despite significant legal reforms, particularly the passage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) in 2017, systemic challenges in the criminal justice system continue to deny justice to suspects and pre-trial detainees in Kaduna State and across Nigeria. These challenges manifest in the form of arbitrary arrests, prolonged pre-trial detention, overcrowded detention centers, delays in judicial proceedings, and widespread incidences of torture and inhumane treatment. While these are the visible symptoms, the root causes are more deeply entrenched and multidimensional.
1. Firstly, the weak enforcement and limited compliance with existing legal frameworks, especially the ACJL, remain a core issue. Although the law prescribes timelines and safeguards to protect suspects and ensure fair trial processes, its implementation is grossly inadequate. Justice sector institutions often operate without accountability, and violations of the law go unpunished. This lack of enforcement creates a permissive environment for continued abuse and inefficiency.
2. Secondly, there is poor inter-agency coordination among justice actors, including the police, judiciary, Ministry of Justice, and correctional services. This fragmented approach leads to inconsistent case tracking, lost files, and administrative delays that further compound pre-trial detention problems. Existing coordination platforms are either non-functional or underutilized due to poor facilitation and limited funding.
3. Institutional capacity deficits also contribute significantly to the problem. Courts are overburdened, legal aid services are underfunded, and prosecutors are often poorly trained and unsupported. Many justice institutions still rely on manual processes, outdated infrastructure, and lack digitized case management systems—resulting in backlogs, inefficiencies, and prolonged detention.
4. A major driver of abuse and inefficiency in the justice system is corruption. From extortion at police stations to bribery in court processes, the absence of transparency and consequences for misconduct entrenches impunity. Low remuneration for justice sector staff, combined with weak oversight mechanisms, further fuels corrupt practices.
5. Public ignorance of rights and legal processes exacerbates these challenges. Many detainees and their families are unaware of their legal rights or available redress mechanisms, making them vulnerable to manipulation and abuse. Access to legal aid and civic education remains limited, particularly for poor and marginalized communities.
6. Chronic underfunding of the justice sector. Budgetary allocations are consistently inadequate, with limited prioritization of legal aid, rehabilitation, or monitoring mechanisms. This not only weakens service delivery but also hampers the implementation of necessary reforms.
Over the past few years, several initiatives have been undertaken to address the persistent challenges associated with pre-trial detention and the broader administration of justice in Kaduna State and across Nigeria. These interventions—both policy-driven and programmatic—have aimed to improve case management, strengthen institutional coordination, and promote compliance with human rights standards in the treatment of suspects and detainees.
One notable intervention was the Court Administration and Case Management Project, which sought to streamline court processes, reduce case backlogs, and enhance data-driven decision-making in the judiciary. This project introduced tools and processes to track cases more efficiently and trained judicial officers and administrative staff in modern case management practices. The initiative contributed to a measurable improvement in case tracking and built momentum for digital innovation within some courts. However, while progress was recorded, the initiative was limited in reach and sustainability due to funding constraints and institutional inertia.
Another key project was Reforming Pre-trial Detention in Nigeria, which was implemented in Kaduna as a pilot state. This project focused on improving coordination between justice actors—particularly the police, the Ministry of Justice, the judiciary, and correctional services—through joint case review mechanisms, increased use of non-custodial measures, and strategic litigation. It also provided legal aid and representation to hundreds of detainees, reducing prolonged detention for many. The pilot demonstrated strong results, with improved communication among justice sector actors and tangible outcomes in decongesting detention facilities. However, the project was prematurely closed due to a cut-off in donor funding by USAID, limiting its ability to scale or consolidate gains.
In addition to donor-funded projects, there have been important policy and legal reforms. Kaduna State adopted the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) and developed complementary instruments such as the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on Inter-agency Cooperation and the Justice Sector Service Charter. These documents clearly define institutional responsibilities, promote timelines for case processing, and create a framework for citizen engagement and accountability.
While these policies and pilots have laid important foundations, their implementation remains inconsistent. Coordination platforms are often inactive or poorly resourced, awareness of the service charter is low among citizens and frontline officers, and monitoring mechanisms are weak. As a result, systemic and sustainable change has not yet been achieved.
The key lesson from previous efforts is that pilot projects can work, but they require political commitment, sustainable financing, institutional ownership, and scale-up strategies to endure beyond initial donor support.
Relevance to OGP Values
This challenge will enhance transparency in the justice system by strengthening the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to oversee and ensure accountability among justice actors. Through the establishment and enforcement of clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and service charters, information about detainees’ rights, case statuses, and judicial timelines will be systematically collected and made accessible to the public. Regular publication of performance reports and compliance scorecards will allow citizens, civil society, and other stakeholders to track progress and hold government agencies accountable for their actions.
Moreover, reform will empower citizens and civil society organizations by improving access to information and building their capacity to monitor justice sector activities. By fostering citizen engagement and encouraging open communication between government institutions and the public, the initiative will help create a culture of transparency and responsiveness. This increased openness will not only reduce arbitrary arrests and prolonged detentions but also build greater trust in the justice system, making it more effective and equitable for all.
This commitment will foster accountability by strengthening the role of the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) as a central coordinating and oversight body. By instituting clear mechanisms for monitoring compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), including regular performance reviews and public reporting, the project will ensure that public agencies within the justice sector are held responsible for timely and lawful case processing. The commitment will also establish consequences for non-compliance, reinforcing a culture where impunity for rights violations is no longer tolerated, thereby encouraging agencies to adhere strictly to legal and procedural standards.
Furthermore, there is the citizens’ ability to track implementation progress by making monitoring data and evaluation results publicly available through accessible platforms and community engagement forums. This transparency will empower civil society organizations and community leaders to actively participate in oversight and advocacy, strengthening the feedback loop between government agencies and the public.
Through regular community consultations, public forums, and engagement sessions facilitated by the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC), citizens will have meaningful opportunities to voice their concerns, share their experiences, and contribute to the development of solutions that directly affect them. This inclusive approach ensures that reform efforts are grounded in the realities faced by detainees, their families, and the broader community.
Intended Results
By implementing this commitment, there will be a significant shift in how the pre-trial justice system functions in Kaduna State. The primary goal is to improve coordination among justice actors and ensure that actions are met with consequences when standards are not upheld. In doing so, the project aims to reduce the number of individuals held in prolonged pre-trial detention and to foster a justice system that is timely, humane, and accountable.
At the most immediate level, the project will produce concrete outputs such as the reactivation and regular functioning of the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC). This will serve as the central coordinating body to ensure that all relevant actors—police, courts, the Ministry of Justice, corrections, and legal aid providers—are aligned, informed, and responsive. Key coordination tools such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), compliance checklists, service charters, and inter-agency scorecards will also be developed, updated, and put to regular use.
In terms of capacity development, the project will enhance the knowledge and skills of justice actors by providing targeted training on the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), alternatives to detention, human rights standards, and case management techniques. It will also strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations and community actors to engage in monitoring, advocacy, and support services for detainees and their families. These capacity improvements will translate into better decision-making, improved case handling, and a more rights-respecting approach to criminal justice.
More critically, the project seeks to create changes in behavior, systems, and institutional culture. We want to see a justice system where coordination is no longer ad hoc, where timelines are respected, and where impunity for rights violations is no longer the norm. We envision a system where there are clear and enforceable consequences for non-compliance with legal standards, and where justice institutions are driven by a shared sense of urgency to resolve cases efficiently. The activation of accountability mechanisms—such as regular performance reviews, inter-agency feedback loops, and disciplinary processes—will help enforce these changes and foster a new standard of professionalism and collaboration.
While this project may not entirely eliminate pre-trial injustice, it will address some of its most critical enablers: weak coordination, lack of consequence, inadequate knowledge, and systemic apathy. The result will be a significant and measurable reduction in the number of people held in pre-trial detention without lawful justification. It will also contribute to restoring public confidence in the justice system and demonstrate that with the right combination of legal frameworks, capacity, coordination, and accountability, meaningful reform is possible.
Milestones
1. Regular convening and oversight function of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC).
2. Passage and operationalization of the Bail Bond Guidelines, as envisioned under Section 160 of the ACJL.
3. Institutionalization of monthly visits by magistrates, in compliance with Section 34 of the ACJL.
4. The inauguration of the Police Duty Solicitor Scheme (PDSS), as provided under Nigeria Police Force Order 20. This secures the rights of suspects at the point of arrest, providing timely legal advice, and deterring coercive practices and prolonged detention without charge.
Is Civil Society Involved?
Yes. Civil Society was involved in the co-creation of this challenge and will be part of the implementation. The nomination of the challenge area was done by Civil Society along side the justification. The drafting committee for this challenge was made of both Civil Society and Government and then review and approved by the State Steering Committee for submission.