UNDP, Japan Support Nigeria in Provision of Virtual Court Facilities in Correctional Centres

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Japan have expressed their commitment to support Nigeria in providing virtual court facilities in correctional centres across the country.

A statement by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Dr Umar Gwandu, stated that both UNDP and Japan are sponsoring the deployment of the virtual court facilities at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) is set to launch a nationwide virtual court facilities on Monday, with the Kuje Correctional Centre, as a pilot case.

The statement disclosed that the Acting Director of the Administration of Criminal Justice Reform Department of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, is “working assiduously with Mrs. Onyinye Ndubuisi of UNDP to ensure the achievement of this laudable project”.

He stated that the development is as a result of the precarious state of the correctional centres and the urgent need to fast-track the decongestion of the Nigeria’s Correctional Centres.

“According to Laticia, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Government of Japan are the financial sponsors of the deployment of the virtual court facilities at Kuje Correctional Centre.

“The successes recorded by the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reform and Decongestion and indeed the Federal Ministry of Justice earned Nigeria the goodwill to receive support and sponsorship from development partners and international community,” the statement added.