The Nigeria Criminal Justice System

The Nigeria Criminal Justice System has not been fairing well from colonial times to date. Its penal system is within the ambit of imprisonment and fine. Looking at socio-economic conditions of Nigerians, those who cannot afford to pay the fine where it is imposed, have no option than to end up in prison. Majority of inmates leave the prison with no savings, no immediate entitlement to unemployment benefits, and few job prospects in addition to other problems related to life after prison. It is based on these identified problems that inform this study. The problems identified are more common among developing nations particularly in African. The work represent magnificent feat of synthesis in criminal justice system as a whole. The author have resourceful confronted the inherent problems in Nigeria criminal justice system, enough to excite the readers to reflect on our judicial system in order to understand the present predicament in our criminal justice system and anticipate the future. This work is an essential reading not only for students of criminology, sociology, government, but also for those sincerely concern with development in criminal law and criminal justice system.