The Honourable Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf, has launched guidelines and a monitoring framework on non-custodial sentences.

The milestone stride aims to address congestion in correctional facilities and promote the rehabilitation of petty offenders in the FCT.

The signing ceremony was held at the Judges’ Conference Room, FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with notable dignitaries in attendance.

These included the Honourable Judges of the FCT High Court, Magistrates, the Director-General of Legal Aid Council, the Executive Secretary of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC), a representative of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and other critical stakeholders in the criminal justice sector.

Speaking at the event, Justice Yusuf said, “This initiative is designed to enhance the adoption of non-custodial measures by the FCT courts in eligible cases and strengthen collaboration between the Courts and Nigerian Correctional Service.”

The initiative, championed by the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC), is in line with one of its core statutory functions made pursuant to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 in ensuring that congestion of custodial facilities is drastically reduced.

Capacity building programmes of key stakeholders, including the training of all Non-Custodial Officers, Magistrates, and Registrars in the FCT, are set to begin next week, convened in collaboration with the Legend Golden Care Foundation.