The chair person of International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA) Abuja chapter, Mrs Racheal Adejoh has urged Nigerians and women in particular not to bail people they are not very familiar with saying that anyone who commits crime once can repeat it over and over again.
Adejoh, stated this in Mabushi district of Abuja while addressing women in a bid to sensitise them on the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
The ACJA which was passed into law since 2015 and effective in Abuja, allows women to give evidence in court, bail someone in detention, bars male police officers from searching females and bars security personnel from arresting relatives in lieu of a suspect amongst others.
She further said that the aim of the sensitisation is to bring the law closer to the people and to give them the law in a language they can understand and also interpret it to them so that they can take advantage of the provisions of the law.
“We are not unmindful that it is not everybody that is aware of the provisions of this act particularly people who are in the indigenous communities, that is why we are trying to make the provision known. We want everybody to be aware of the provision of the law. There is no better way to do it than to come to where the indigenes are. What we have done in FIDA is to simplify the act in languages that indigenous communities can understand.
“Step by step, we intend to go to these communities to bring these laws closer to everybody but of course you will understand that it is not possible to go to all the communities that is why we have a simplified act. We have made it into a booklet form to distribute to people,” she said.
She urged the women who are now aware of the provision of this law to be their ambassador and sensitise others.
