Benue State University, Makurdi

Revisiting the Legal Considerations for Victims of Crime in the Criminal Justice Process in Nigeria

Justice Tijani Abubakar * and Gilbert, Tor**

Abstract

The importance of compensation for victims of crime in the administration of criminal justice cannot be overemphasized. It serves a variety of benefits including helping the victims to manage the material aspect of their loss and find psychological healing in the fact that society has not abandoned them. This article examined the entitlements of victims of crimes generally, but with specific reference to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission Act, the Violence against Person (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and other related Statutes. The article was motivated by the desire to answer the question: what are the benefits of the criminal justice system to victims of crime? The article adopted the doctrinal methodology of research which involves an examination of primary and secondary sources of data to interrogate the question. The article found that irrespective of the crime, there are more of problems than benefits for victims of crime and the problems ranged from victims bearing the direct physical, material, financial and psychological brunt of crime and eventual neglect by the justice process and system and left to the mercies of charity as soon as they give their complainant or witnesses testimonies. It becomes easy to understand why so many criminal cases cannot be successfully prosecuted or tried, hence heightened break down of law and order. This article also found that the current legal provisions on compensation of victims of crime are weak and most often, not enforced. It recommended amongst other things for the effective application of the provisions on restorative justice and compensation for victims of crime under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and other related statutes as it is the case in other jurisdictions.

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