Writing By Sani Suleiman; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
The Taraba State Ministry of Justice, in partnership with development organizations, has begun formulating guidelines for the implementation of plea bargains to strengthen the Administration of Criminal Justice Law ACJL.
Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, Yakubu Maikasuwa SAN, announced this during a one-day workshop on developing plea bargain guidelines held in Jalingo.
The initiative is being executed in collaboration with the Rule of Law Empowerment Initiative, Partners West Africa Nigeria PWAN, and the MacArthur Foundation.
Maikasuwa said the policy is crucial for ensuring faster and more effective justice delivery in Taraba.
He noted that the plea bargain system recognizes justice as a “three-way traffic” involving the defendant, the victim, and society, and ensures fairness for all parties.
He emphasized the need for the state to embrace the global shift from primitive to modern criminal trials and disclosed that a committee on prison decongestion had already been constituted to address related challenges.
The Attorney General appreciated PWAN and the MacArthur Foundation for supporting improvements to the state’s criminal justice process, assuring that the government would continue to strengthen the judiciary.
PWAN Programme Officer, Mrs. Rebecca Bala, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to promoting accountability, efficiency, and fair justice across Nigeria, commending Taraba for adopting modern justice reforms, including plea bargaining.
In his goodwill message, Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, said that when transparently implemented, plea bargains enhance efficiency, fairness, and accountability while reducing court burdens, saving resources, and ensuring timely justice without compromising due process.
Sani Suleiman
