DPP – Lagos State Ministry of Justice

Lagos Launches Restorative Justice Centre

Posted on May 29, 2022

……Inaugurates the Nigerian Police Force and DPP focal group. In a bid to ensure correctional facilities decongestion and ensure quick dispensation of justice, the Lagos State Government on Friday at Alausa Secretariat launched a restorative justice center and Secretariat of the Criminal Justice Sector Reform Committee (CJSRC). The Lagos State restorative justice center is to serve as an alternative dispute resolution and as a tool for decongesting the less serious case in the court system. In his address the Chief judge of Lagos State who also served as the chairman of CJSRC, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba noted that the restorative system of justice is not alien but has been in existence for over three decades and in practice in other countries hence the adoption of it by the State justice system to ensure peaceful resolution of disputes. Justice Alogba ably represented by Hon. Justice Adenike Coker stated that the traditional justice system has suffered a great deal of setbacks with evident increase in the rate of crime, long prosecution process and overcrowding of correctional facilities amongst others. He therefore, noted that the restorative justice centre is a welcome development as restorative justice referrals from courts and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) can be settled amicably at the centre. The Attorney-General and commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo ,SAN in his address noted that the restorative justice system has been a dominant method of dealing with conflict for most of human history as it existed alongside a diverse range of other practices, including retribution hence its adoption by the State. He stated that it is the responsibility of government to ensure that matters are resolved in a reasonable and timely manner because when it drags on for long people tend to find alternatives and take laws into their hands to get what they consider as justice which is not. “Restorative justice centre is a form of alternative dispute resolution and we are determined to deploy it as a tool for decongesting as many of the less serious cases in the docket of the court system and invariably the overcrowded correctional centres”. He explained further that restorative justice system is a process where all the parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and usually involves a trained facilitator. In addition,he noted that the State government in partnership with The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) has trained over 100 facilitators, magistrates, traditional rulers, police officers on restorative justice procedures. The centre according to Onigbanjo is expected to raise awareness and build support for the restorative justice program as well as to invite participation and collaboration with relevant stakeholders in implementing the model of justice. This he noted further demonstrates the commitment of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to expanding access to justice and building a peaceful and safe community that is victim orientated. The Solicitor General and Permanent secretary, Ministry of Justice, Ms. Titilayo Shitta-bey expressed delight at the launch of the centre noting that it is another way of ensuring quick dispensation of justice while thanking the British council, GIZ, ROLAC and other donor agencies for their unwavering support towards promoting a criminal justice system that wins the trust of the community. The Honourable Chief judge used the occasion to launch the presentation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document which is a document that seeks to ensure seemless collaboration between investigation prosecutors from the Police and the DPPs office at the stages of investigation up to the prosecution stage. The Nigerian Police force and DPP focal group was also inaugurated to fast track and champion the process of investigation and prosecution There were also goodwill addresses from Mr. Gertjan de Gruijter of GIZ police programme, Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi represented by ACP Mary Anyim and RoLAC State Coordinator, Mrs. Ajibola Ijimakinwa, Dr. Akeem Bello among others. In attendance were officers of the Nigerian Police Force, Correctional facilities, Prison Fellowship of Nigeria, members of the RJ steering committee and relevant stakeholders.

Lagos Appoints Babajide Martins As Director Public Prosecutions(DPP)

Posted on January 5, 2022

… redeploys Oshinusi, Oluwafemi and Salau The Former Director, Office of the Public Defender (OPD), Dr. Babajide Martins, has been appointed as the Director, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice. A memo signed by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice, Ms. Titilayo Shitta-bey states that his appointment followed the appointment of the former DPP, Mrs. Adenrera Olayinka Adeyemi as a Judge of the high Court of Lagos State. Babajide is a Legal Luminary, a Progressive and Seasoned Technocrat, a Human Rights Advocate, a Passionate and Relentless Worker in the Temple of Justice. He is a graduate of University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990 and is also a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. Dr. Martins graduated with Master in Law, LLM in European Management and Employment Law and Master of Business Administration (MBA) respectively from the University of Leicester, England. He thereafter bagged a PhD in Constitutional law from Birkbeck College, University of London. Dr. Martins is the current Director of the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender an agency saddled with the mandate of ensuring that every resident of Lagos State has equal access to justice. Prior to joining the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Dr. Martins had worked in England as a Crown Prosecutor and at Blackburn Borough Council in England, where his practice included Criminal Prosecution, Civil Litigation, Employment Law, Youth Justice and Safeguarding. A Versatile Facilitator who has conducted, presented papers and served as a discussant at the National Judicial Institute and Lagos State Judiciary legal week. He has also conducted several trainings on Criminal Justice Administration to Police Officers, Magistrates and Customary Court Judges. He is an ardent advocate of Restorative Justice and Mediation in Criminal Matters. He is an advocate of a fair and just Criminal Justice system and was a member of the committee that drafted the Lagos State Sentencing guidelines. He has served as the Liaison Officer on the European Union funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme administered by the British Council in Lagos state. He is also currently the Liaison Officer for the Ministry of Justice on the German GIZ Programme for support for the Criminal Justice Administration. He has served as Special Assistant on Criminal Prosecutions to two former Lagos State Attorney Generals and was formerly a Director of the Office of the Public Defender, before his recent appointment as Director of Directorate of Public Prosecutions. Dr. Martins is a current member of the Lagos State Biosecurity Board. Following Dr. Martins appointment as DPP, Ms Oshinusi Adetutu has also been appointed as the new Director, Directorate of Citizens Rights, Mrs. Adenike Oluwafemi as Deputy Director, Directorate of Public Prosecutions and Mrs Aderoju Salau as Deputy Director, Directorate of Civil Litigations Their appointment takes immediate effect.

LASG Encourages Victims of Harm To Take Advantage Of Restorative Justice

Posted on November 25, 2021

The Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has urged the general public, especially victims of harm, to take advantage of Restorative Justice(RJ) in the State as it is an alternative to incarceration or statutory punishment for minor offences. The State’s Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Olayinka Adeyemi, stated this during an interview session on Lagos Traffic Radio, Ikeja on Tuesday to create awareness about restorative justice for victims and it’s benefits for the society as part of activities lined up to celebrate “Y2021 Restorative Justice Week” She noted that the State’s Ministry of Justice under the leadership of the Commissioner for Justice and attorney-general, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), has continued to ensure speedy dispensation of justice as outlined in the T.H.E.M.E.S development Agenda , which is key to an effective administration of justice in the State. Adeyemi noted that Restorative Justice is about finding a way to establish communication between the offender and the victim. “For offenders, the RJ program offers an opportunity to take responsibility for the harm they have caused and likewise the victims; it aims to reduce the feeling of anger”. Expatiating more on RJ, Adeyemi noted that Restorative Justice seeks to promote and maintain healthy relationship between the offender and victim; respecting and listening to the opinions of the public as people are more likely to forgive when they tell their stories, repairing any harm done by offenders and ensuring that the parties involved in the crime do not go back to cause more harm in the society. In addition, she said the Restorative Justice program will further decongest the courts, correctional facilities and also ensure speedy dispensation of justice in the State. The Coordinator Prison Fellowship Nigeria and Member of the Lagos State Restorative Justice, Mr. Benson Iwuagwu, during the media appearance stated that the Restorative Justice Week has been celebrated annually to acknowledge the impacts and achievements of the RJ approach and its application in Nigeria while Lagos is hosting this year’s edition. “Some of the benefits of Restorative Justice includes enhancing community involvement in the dispute resolution process, helping the victims and offenders live with the burden of offence and preventing re-offending”. Iwuagwu said Restorative Justice Processes have great potential to empower victims and survivors of crimes and offer them closure, stating that RJ can serve victims of different types of crime most especially minor cases. The coordinator also mentioned that the people affected by the crime should be able to take part in the resolution which can also be therapeutic to victims, offenders and the society at large. The Director Public Prosecutions however added that residents can contact the Office of the Attorney General of Lagos State for more information on Restorative Justice.

LASG Takes Witness Support Campaign to Bariga Residents

Posted on June 5, 2021

As part of efforts to ensure speedy dispensation of Criminal Justice in the State, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions Lagos State of Ministry of Justice, on Thursday sensitized the residents of Bariga LCDA on the importance of witnesses during court proceedings and the needed support available for them. The Deputy Director, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Ms. Adetutu Oshinusi assured the residents of the State Government’s unwavering support for witnesses through the Witness Support Unit. Ms. Oshinusi said the Witness Support Unit was established under the Directorate of Public Prosecutions a few years ago, to provide support to victims of crime and to ensure their protection from external forces. She added that the lackadaisical attitudes of residents towards crimes committed around them has led to an upsurge in crime in the State and country at large. “We are all guilty of the increased rate of crimes in our community and State on daily basis as we turn deaf ears to things happening around us as a result of fear” she said. The Director, however, urged the resident to be courageous in reporting crimes to the Police as good citizens and credible witnesses towards ensuring appropriate punishment under the law, is given to perpetrators of such Crimes. While responding to a question on the safety of Witnesses, Ms. Oshinusi noted that the Witness Support Unit collaborates with other government agencies to provide needed support to witnesses especially children and the vulnerable in the Community. “The witness support unit provides witnesses with numerous support as needed, ranging from psychosocial, financial to security, especially for Witnesses of assaults, defilement, rape, armed robbery amongst others” , she said. Also speaking at the sensitization programme, a Deputy -Director in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Adesola Adekunle -Bello urged residents to shun all forms of intimidation as the unit will provide adequate protection to all witnesses during and after court proceedings. She added that all communication line between witnesses and the support unit is confidential. Mrs. Adekunle-Bello noted that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu is keen on ensuring the effective administration of Criminal Justice in the State towards creating a crime-free environment for all. While commending the initiative of the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN, the Chairman Bariga LCDA, Hon. Alabi Kolade David assured that the Witness Support Sensitization Campaign will be taken to all Bariga residents inorder to attain a safe and peaceful community. Likewise, the Baale of Obanikoro, High Chief Kabiru Braimoh who applauded the State Government’s efforts in bringing Justice closer to the people through the Witness Support Sensitization Campaign implored the Ministry of Justice on the need to establish annex offices at all LCDA and LGA’s in the State .

Lagos Encourages Victims Of Crime To Come Forward As Witnesses In Court Trials

Posted on February 17, 2021

The Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the State Ministry of Justice has urged Victims of Crime to remain courageous by coming out as credible witnesses in Court, to provide evidence during court trials to ensure speedy delivery of justice. The State Director of Public Prosecutions, Olayinka Adeyemi, gave the charge during an interview on Lagos Traffic Radio, Ikeja on Monday, February 16th 2021. Adeyemi noted that it is not enough for victims to merely report a crime to the Police but, to also be prepared to go all the way, to make appearances in Court to give evidence when the need arises during Court Trials. She added that a Witness Support Unit was established under the directorate a few years ago, to provide support to victims of crime and ensure their rights are protected. According to her, “A Witness is a critical aspect of any criminal trial. Adeyemi added that witnessing in court is an obligatory duty for all citizens, in order to ensure an effective and speedy administration of Criminal Justice in Lagos State. While stating the responsibilities of the Witness Support Unit, she added that adequate protection is given to all Witnesses who are mostly victims of Crimes against all forms of intimidation. “The Unit also provides different kind of support; ranging from psychosocial to financial, to witnesses especially victims of assaults, defilement, rape, armed robbery amongst others. The Witness are also educated on the status of their cases, in order to prepare them for appearances in court”. Speaking, Mrs Adeyemi said the State Ministry of Justice under the leadership of Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN in line with the T.H.E.M.E S agenda of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration continues to ensure speedy dispensation of Justice, which is key to an effective administration of Justice in Lagos State. The Director stated that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions ensures that Legal Advice is issued within 14 days of receiving the case file in respect of a crime. While the Witness Support Unit immediately gets connected to the Victims before the case goes to court. The DPP, however added that, Witnesses can contact the Ministry of Justice on 08082145935 or 09090152284 to confirm the status of their cases.