Reducing prison overcrowding in Nigeria and improving defendants’ rights
Chief Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi (seated) manages the Bail Information Management System on behalf of the Lagos State Judiciary in Nigeria. Credit: International IDEA
To address this concern, International IDEA, through its Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme in Nigeria, collaborated with the Lagos state judiciary to build a Bail Information Management System (BIMS). BIMS captures biometric and other data from defendants and their sureties, which can be used to track and rearrest absconding defendants. Thanks to BIMS, magistrates are more confident when granting bail, knowing that the chances that a defendant will evade trial are slim.
BIMS is now operative in 14 magisterial districts and has spared 7,223 defendants from pre-trial detention.
‘One of the things I am most appreciative of is how seamless the system has made our work.’
| Funding | European Union |
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