Stakeholders Advocate Institution of Community of Service Law

By Dayo Adu

Stakeholders in community service sentencing have advocated the institution of community service law across the southwestern states for the effective adoption of the scheme as alternative punishment for minor offences

The stakeholders in an interface with magistrates and presidents of Grade A court on Community sentencing in Oyo state at a meeting organised by the Justice Development and Peace Commission, JDPC, Ibadan on the applicability of community service as an alternative punishment for minor offences stated that the law would guide the judge in the pronouncement of punishments and the modalities for offenders service

Deputy Chief Registrar, Oyo state judiciary, Mrs Olumide Ogunrin, who disclosed that the state had secured community service sentencing for 1389 minor offenders since the introduction of the scheme in 2017 said it had reduced the rate of repeat offenders 

On her part, Deputy Chief Registrar (Legal) Lagos Mrs Joy Ugbomoiko recommended community service sentencing as an alternative to plead bargain option for high-profile financial crime

Earlier in her address of welcome, the Chief of Staff, JDPC, Ibadan, Mrs Adenike Ibitara said the focus was to ensure all states key into the scheme to decongest the custodian centres and forestall the cases of repeat offenders 

The meeting had in attendance, jurists and lawyers, non-governmental organisations, and personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service across states of the southwest.

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