The Federal Capital Territory Administration had activated mobile courts to try and prosecute as part of measures to ensure strict adherence to President Muhammadu Buhari’s stay-at-home directive.
The Network of University Legal Aid Institutions and the Nigerian Bar Association have partnered to provide pro-bono legal representation at the 13 mobile courts in the Federal Capital Territory to offenders unable to afford legal services.
This was contained in a statement by the Program Director of NULAI Nigeria, Mrs Odi Lagi, and Chairman of NBA Abuja, Mr Aluko Folarin.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration had activated mobile courts to try and prosecute as part of measures to ensure strict adherence to President Muhammadu Buhari’s stay-at-home directive.
According to the statement, the partnership will also track the level of legal representation; use of non-custodial sentencing; diversion from detention; enforcement of fundamental human rights; obedience to rule of law and observance of the provisions of the relevant statutes/rules by these mobile courts during this lockdown and ultimately ensuring access to justice.
It said, “This is in line with the objective of achieving a significant reduction in the size of the pre-trial detention population in the FCT under its Reforming Pre-trial Detention in Nigeria Project.”