Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have expressed their commitment to deepening their partnership to reduce the number of over 26,000 children within the juvenile justice system who currently have no form of legal representation or defence.
They also reiterated their call for comprehensive reform of the juvenile justice system and improved access to justice for children.
The 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), expressed this commitment when she led the newly elected executive committee of the NBA on a courtesy visit to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, at Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Speaking during the visit, the NBA President said: “We have various projects that we are currently working on, which require us to engage constantly with the police. One case in point is the UNICEF project on juvenile justice and children’s access to justice.
“We are hoping that one of the ways in which we can collaborate is by ensuring that there is a lawyer in every police station to provide training for police officers working at the gender desks. This will help ensure that the number of the over 26,000 children within the juvenile justice system who currently have no form of legal representation or defence is reduced.
“By leveraging the respective strengths and resources of our organisations, we can advance the cause of children within the juvenile justice system and promote reforms that improve children’s access to justice.”
Mrs Badejo-Okusanya added: “We recognise the role that lawyers and the police play, not only in protecting our democracy but also in ensuring that citizens are safe and that their rights are protected.
“We anticipate greater cooperation, which will lead to a better understanding and ultimately benefit society.”
To reduce the constant clashes between police officers and lawyers in the course of their duties, the NBA President proposed a mechanism that would ensure that any lawyer or police officer who becomes unruly while carrying out their professional duties is appropriately sanctioned, thereby serving as a deterrent to others.
Responding, the IGP congratulated the new leadership of the NBA and assured the NBA President of the Nigeria Police Force’s willingness to deepen its collaboration with the association.
Disu said that lawyers protect the rights of citizens, while police officers protect the lives and property of the people.
He appealed to the NBA leadership to assist the Force in tackling the emerging trend of violations of police officers’ privacy during official engagements.
He called for greater institutional harmony between the Force and the NBA.