Ikeja, Lagos –In a move to strengthen criminal justice reform and reduce prison overcrowding, the Lagos State Judiciary has launched a new Practice Direction on Non-Custodial Sentencing.
The framework provides uniform guidelines for judges and justice sector agencies on the enforcement of alternative sentencing.
Speaking at the launch in Ikeja, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, said the initiative would eliminate inconsistencies in sentencing and improve coordination among justice institutions.
“This compendium has come at a very appropriate time as a guide to all of us. Judges at all levels now have the opportunity to bring our pronouncements into uniformity, in accordance with the law,” Alogba noted, stressing that proper enforcement of non-custodial sentences is in the interest of society and justice administration.
Representing the MacArthur Foundation, Senior Programme Officer Yvonne Darkwa-Poku praised Lagos for leading reform efforts, noting that the launch builds on decades of work in Nigeria’s criminal justice sector.
“To see our grantees take on the hard task of nationwide adoption and implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, including this compendium being launched today, gives us great hope,” she said.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, represented by the head of the Command’s Legal Department, Charles Akinrosoye, described the initiative as a critical tool in addressing long-standing prison congestion.
“The Commission has been involved in prison audits for over 20 years, and congestion has remained a major issue. This development is therefore very welcome, and we congratulate Lagos State for once again living up to its reputation as a trailblazer,” he said.
The launch, supported by the MacArthur Foundation and Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative (RULAI/Partners West Africa Nigeria), brought together senior members of the judiciary, law enforcement, and civil society groups. Stakeholders expressed optimism that the guidelines would strengthen enforcement of alternatives to imprisonment, enhance justice delivery, and ease pressure on correctional facilities in Lagos State.
Reporting By Wahab Akinlade