The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has raised concerns about the state of Nigeria’s criminal justice system, describing it as weak and in urgent need of a comprehensive overhaul.
Speaking on Thursday through the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, at the 2024 Annual Lecture and Award Ceremony organized by the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), the IGP likened the system to a sick patient requiring urgent medical attention.
The IGP emphasized that the police are not the sole contributors to the justice system’s inefficiencies. He urged all stakeholders to work together toward reform. “Police is not the only pillar or stakeholder in the criminal justice system in this country. We have challenges, we accept, but we will try our best to make sure we have a better system,” he stated.
He also appealed to Nigerians to avoid placing all the blame on law enforcement. Highlighting the broader impact of a functioning justice system, he remarked, “If this system is working well; it is going to affect you, it is going to us.”
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, also spoke at the event, addressing the deep-rooted issue of corruption in the justice system. He identified corruption as a major obstacle hindering effective decision-making, resource management, and service delivery across sectors.
“The widespread corruption within the justice system, including bribery, influence peddling and attitudinal challenges, are more fundamental and daunting,” Aliyu said. He stressed the need for targeted reforms and anti-corruption measures, citing bribery among judicial officials as a particularly concerning issue.
Aliyu further highlighted institutional, funding, infrastructural, and socio-cultural challenges that undermine the justice system, calling for a multi-faceted approach involving enforcement, prevention, and systemic reforms.
