Following the enactment of the 2014 Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act and the 2015 Administrative and Criminal Justice Act, stakeholders are calling for the institution of structures and capacity building to prepare grounds for the implementation of the laws.
IGP Arase
The VAPP Act which essentially protects various forms of violations, especially sexual violence and assault of any kind, against persons, more importantly, women and children was signed into Law by the former President Goodluck Jonathan after thirteen years in limbo.
Addressing participants at the opening of a two-day training workshop for Policemen in Abuja, Chief Judge of the High Court, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello, noted the need to establish a monitoring committee that would oversee the implementation of the ACJA and VAPPA. He said the passage of the Acts “stands out as a resounding leap forward for the reform of Nigeria’s criminal justice system, as it would foster reform and facilitate newer, better ways of processing criminal trials.”
The workshop which was organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Institute for Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) under the framework of the European Union, set out to train officers in the legal departments of all Police Commands on the requisites for implementing the ACJA and VAPP.
In his address, Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, said the passage of the new laws has placed enormous responsibility on the Police and that the training program would help officers to understand changes that have occurred in the Criminal Procedure Act and the Criminal Procedure Code and to act appropriately in carrying out their duties.
He thanked the European Union and UNODC for supporting this and other training programs aimed at developing the capacity of officers of the Nigeria Police. He described UNODC as “a friend indeed that has been involved in all-round training and development of the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.”
According to Arase, the two laws are no doubt very important legal instruments “that if properly implemented, have the potential to advance professionalism and efficiency in the trial of criminal cases, reduce congestion in Nigerian prisons as a result of speedy dispensation of justice, and enhance respect for human rights”.
Acting Coordinator of the “Support to the Justice Sector in Nigeria” project Koli Kouame who stood in for the UNODC Representative in Nigeria, Polleak Ok Serei also said, “Setting up the structures and capacity needed for effective implementation of the two laws will contribute to the achievement of the Government’s vision on justice reforms.”