Prescriptive strategies to combat corruption within the administration of justice sector in Nigeria
Abstract
Purpose
A new republic has just begun in Nigeria in 2015 with the election of two anti-corruption crusaders as President and Vice president, respectively. Although very few empirical studies exist on the subject of corruption within the justice system in Nigeria the intolerable popular impression is that the machinery of justice in Nigeria is quite notoriously corrupt. The aim of this paper is to identify strategies and mechanisms that will enhance the professionalism, effectiveness, integrity, accountability and transparency of the organisations within Nigeria’s administration of justice system both at the federal and state levels including Ministries of Justice, the Police, the Prison Service, immigration, customs and even the Bar.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature research is used to examine the problem. The author looks at corruption in the context of Nigerian laws. He tabulates the offences within the scope of the prohibition against corruption in Nigeria, as well as the incidences of corruption within the various sections of the criminal justice system. The prescriptive recommendations are divided into short-, medium- and long-term measures.
Findings
That corruption is actually prevalent in all areas of the Nigerian justice system. It is crucial that an impression must be made by the new administration in this area within a very short frame of time to arrest the situation and to reverse the damage caused so far.
Research limitations/implications
Word limit has not enabled us to go into deeper analysis. Lack of objective studies done from within the Nigeria justice sector itself on the manifestation of corruption.
Originality/value
Very original analysis based on unique insight into the issue as academics, lawyers and practitioners within Nigerian anticorruption institutions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the support and collaboration of Juliet Ibekaku in the writing of this article. The article has arisen out collaborative research and several meetings conducted under the the Policy Dialogue retreat for incoming elected government in Nigeria Wed 20th to Thursday 21st May 2015 at the Human Rights Commission and Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
Citation
Oduntan, G. (2017), "Prescriptive strategies to combat corruption within the administration of justice sector in Nigeria", Journal of Money Laundering Control, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 35-51. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMLC-09-2015-0042
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited