Ben Adaji Jalingo
The Taraba State Government has commenced the development of guidelines for the implementation of the plea bargain system as part of efforts to strengthen the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) in the state.
The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Yakubu Maikasuwa (SAN), announced this on Friday at a one-day workshop on Plea Bargain Guidelines held in Jalingo.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Justice in partnership with the Rule of Law Empowerment Initiative (Partners West Africa Nigeria, PWAN) and the MacArthur Foundation.
Maikasuwa said the policy was crucial to enhancing speedy and effective justice delivery. He explained that the plea bargain model operates a “three-way traffic” of justice for the defendant, the victim, and the society.
“This system ensures fairness and aligns with global shifts from primitive to modern criminal justice practices,” he said.
He added that the ministry had set up a committee on prison congestion made up of judges and other stakeholders to address overcrowding in correctional facilities.
Maikasuwa commended PWAN and the MacArthur Foundation for supporting ongoing justice reforms, assuring that the state government would continue to strengthen the justice delivery process.
PWAN Programme Officer, Rebecca Bala, said the organisation had been supporting states across the country to enhance accountability, efficiency, and fairness in justice administration. She applauded Taraba for adopting modern judicial practices such as plea bargaining.
Also speaking, the Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, said plea bargain, if transparently applied, would reduce the burden on the courts, save public resources, and speed up justice delivery without compromising due process.
He stressed the need for clear and transparent guidelines to protect the rights of all parties and sustain public system.
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