Nigeria's criminal justice system is beset by a plethora of challenges. Aside from the perennial delays in adjudication of cases due to sundry reasons, dearth of infrastructure and attitudinal dispositions of both the Bar and the Bench are viewed as key culprits foisting a dysfunctional criminal justice system on Africa's largest judicial system. Add to this list a gamut of petty offences which essentially criminalize poverty and informal commercial activities such as hawking and vending and the unnerving picture is complete.
Many have argued that a successful reform of Nigeria's criminal justice administration will have a ripple effect on the entire region. Instructively, there are ongoing efforts at the regional level to drive law reform and promote justice for all classes of people.
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