Key Points:
- Justice sector stakeholders urge broader application of community service sentencing to reduce congestion in Lagos correctional centres.
- The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) calls for a coordinated framework to monitor non-custodial sentencing.
- NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu states that respect for human rights is crucial to enhancing national security.
Main story
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s justice sector have renewed calls for the wider application of community service sentencing as a strategy to decongest correctional centres and strengthen the administration of criminal justice in Lagos State.
The call was made during a stakeholders’ engagement between the Criminal Justice Network of Nigeria (CJNN) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) aimed at strengthening partnerships to advance the implementation and monitoring of community service orders within the justice system.
The meeting, organised in collaboration with Human Rights Law Services (HURILAW) and supported by the German Catholic development agency Misereor, brought together civil society organisations and legal practitioners from various law chambers across Lagos State to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities surrounding non-custodial sentencing.
Convener of CJNN, Nathaniel Ngwu, explained that community service is a court-ordered punishment that allows offenders convicted of minor offences to perform unpaid work for the benefit of society instead of serving custodial sentences in correctional facilities.
According to him, the measure is intended for offenders who would ordinarily receive short-term imprisonment but do not pose a threat to public safety.
Ngwu emphasised that individuals convicted of serious crimes are not eligible for community service orders, noting that the concept aims to ensure that punishment also contributes positively to society.
He traced the origin of community service sentencing to the British Mandate administration in Palestine and noted that it has since been adopted in several jurisdictions worldwide, including the United States, where offenders carry out supervised work for municipal or county authorities as an alternative to incarceration.
However, he identified logistical constraints as a major challenge hindering the effective implementation of community service orders by the Lagos State judiciary.
Ngwu stressed that addressing these logistical gaps is essential to ensuring that offenders assigned to community service are properly supervised and prevented from absconding.
He therefore urged the NHRC and other justice sector institutions to support the initiative, noting that sustained collaboration among stakeholders would be critical to ensuring the success of non-custodial sentencing.
The issues
Correctional centres across Nigeria, including those in Lagos State, remain severely overcrowded, largely due to the high number of inmates serving short-term sentences for minor offences.
Justice reform advocates argue that non-custodial sentencing options such as community service can significantly reduce congestion in prisons while promoting restorative justice and reducing the cost of incarceration.
However, weak implementation frameworks, inadequate logistics, and limited monitoring systems continue to hinder the widespread adoption of such alternatives within the criminal justice system.
What’s being said
Director of the NHRC in Lagos State, Lucas Koyejo, said the commission supports efforts to expand the use of non-custodial sentencing but emphasised that sentencing decisions ultimately remain the prerogative of the judiciary.
He also highlighted the need for a clear and coordinated monitoring framework to ensure the effective implementation of community service orders across Nigerian courts.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, stressed that respect for human rights is critical to achieving sustainable security outcomes.
Speaking at a dialogue on building trust and protecting human rights organised by Lift for Citizens Development and Advancement (LICDA), Ojukwu said human rights and security should not be viewed as opposing interests.
”When communities trust law enforcement agencies, they are more willing to cooperate in crime prevention and intelligence gathering.”
He added that transparent and fair justice processes enhance the credibility of convictions, while decisive action against abuses strengthens the legitimacy of institutions.
What’s next
Stakeholders have called for stronger collaboration between justice sector institutions, civil society organisations, and the NHRC to address logistical barriers and strengthen monitoring mechanisms for non-custodial sentencing.
They also emphasised the need for continued advocacy to encourage courts to make greater use of community service orders for minor offences.
Bottom line
Justice reform advocates believe that expanding the use of community service sentencing could significantly ease overcrowding in correctional centres while promoting restorative justice and improving the efficiency of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
