Determined to ensure the protection of suspects in police custody, the Partner West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation, has established legal practitioners’ desks at some police stations in Jigawa State.
The Jigawa State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu said this in his speech at a one-day training of Police Duty Solicitor Scheme (PDSS) for lawyers held at the Ministry of Justice’s Conference Hall in Dutse, the state capital.
The commissioner explained that the legal practitioners will work under the Legal Aid Council, under which lawyers will be in the police stations observing how suspects have been treated in taking their statements and detained.
Aliyu added that the aim was to ensure fairness and transparency in investigation and suspects’ questioning in accordance with the human rights provisions.
He noted that the lawyer would give legal assistance to suspects and even to the police if the need arises, adding that “the legal practitioners and police can intervene and reconcile parties in some civil cases.
“The new development would reduce the long process it takes for cases to be heard and curb unnecessary delay of the case in the police stations. “This automatically will reduce conjunction of suspects in the police cells and canters,” he emphasised.
The Partner West Africa Nigeria representative Hajiya Aisha said the two organisations organised the one-day training to 12 legal practitioners both public and private, police solicitors in 10 selected police stations on the new project.
Hajiya Aisha explained that “the new programme would be in Abuja, Jigawa and Kano states.”
She further said: “This programme is in line with the provision of Force Order No 20 (as amended), that allows lawyers to go to any police station to observe and contribute in protecting suspects’ rights.
“The aim and objectives of this training is for capacity building of police in investigation and prosecution of suspects.