By Charles Nwabardi
Before delving into this topic, it is pertinent to state that I am not a trained legal expert. Therefore, my contributions are based as I being part of the Nigerian system and as journalist.
Timely justice dispensation can simply be said to be a quick uphold of the rule of law without deliberate bottleneck by all those that are entrusted to handle the judicial system.
In order to achieve good dispensation of justice in Nigeria there must be first an overhaul of the National security system to make it more effective in this era of high and sophisticated crimes.
The police, the military, secret/intelligence agencies must not be left out in the overhaul.
There must be good training, re-training, provision of mordern security gadgets, good remuneration and possibly life assurance cover.
The security operatives are given a place in this discourse because they work in collaboration or in tandem with the judicial system to bring about justice dispensation. The police has become the CENTRE-point here as they are saddled with keeping and prosecuting offenders in the court of law.
In line with the fore-going, all other security operatives apprehend and handover to the police while the police keep, investigate and charge to court pending the outcome of their investigation. Therefore, it is clear that the police is at the receiving end and requires reinforcement and fortification.
In addition to keeping and proscuting offenders, the police also face the dare-devil criminals in terms of armed robbery, arm banditry, hard drug dealers et cetera.
These people mentioned carry out their nefarious activities with more sophisticated weapons that the police do not possess. It is saddening that most times many policemen are killed leaving their beloved ones to suffer.
Another aspect is the law courts. From my observation, judges and magistrates are trying. The appellate courts (Courts of Appeal, Supreme Court) are also weathering the storms in their onerous duties but they should do more. However, lawyers know technically how to stall cases especially with amendments and motions techniques. I am not saying that lawyers should not make amendments or file motions especially where it is very relevant for them to win their cases but such must not be used to frustrate the Bench/Jury.
Furthermore, crimes are reported every time in Nigeria-Newspapers, radio/television and social media but purnishments as against the offenses committed are not subsequently reported after all. Does it mean that all the arrested offenders are set free by the courts of jurisdiction? Journalists should endeavor to follow up heinous cases to conclusion and report purnishments.
It is absurd to leave people who go about killing and maiming innocent citizens in the name of the business of armed robbery, kidnapping, high profile killings to be seen walking freely on our streets.
Offenses have their specified punishment ; such punishment for offenders must be judiciously meted out.
It is only in Nigeria that a serial murderer is committed to few years of imprisonment with the pretence that capital punishment is no longer in vogue. Even if America, France, Britain and other advanced countries of the world have jettisoned capital punishment; does Nigeria has the wherewithal as they have to fight crime? Pretence! Check the moslem countries in the world crimes like armed robbery is not common there because it attracts capital punishment instantly.
Let the Nigerian judicial system especially the lawyers rise up to the challenge of high crime wave that is sweeping the country away and help deal with the anti-national development menace so that Nigeria will be a safe place to live in.