THE NIGERIAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: A CURSORY LOOK AT SALIENT ISSUES AND AREAS OF REFORM

This paper examines the roles of the Nigerian criminal justice actors- the police, courts and correctional service in justice administration and identifies some of the impending issues (including prison congestion, extrajudicial practices and pre-trial detention) affecting effective dispensation of justice, rehabilitation and reformation of prison inmates. Essentially it offers strategies on how to effectively address these issues within the context of legal and administrative reforms. The paper argued that for any criminal justice system to effectively protect lives and properties, safeguard the fundamental rights of individuals, and ensure fairness, rule of law must be allowed to guide the operations of justice institutions and administration of justice.