Lagos Marks 2025 Restorative Justice Week, Honours Partners

Sunday Ehigiator

The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its pioneering role in the justice sector reform as the Ministry of Justice recently held a press briefing to mark the 2025 International Restorative Justice Week, highlighting major achievements, national adoption of the Lagos model, and presenting awards to outstanding partners.

The briefing, held in Ikeja, featured top justice-sector officials, community actors, international partners and civil society organisations.

In his keynote address, the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), described restorative justice as “a fundamental human right and a permanent pillar of Lagos State’s criminal justice system.”

He highlighted the establishment of the Restorative Justice Centre in 2022, the first structured institutional restorative justice framework in Nigeria, as a deliberate diversionary mechanism from conventional punitive approaches.

According to Mr. Pedro, “the Centre has received 360 referrals this year, resolving over 80 per cent of cases successfully.”

He explained that the centre facilitates victim-offender mediation, restitution agreements, community service sentencing, and multi-party conferencing involving business and government institutions.

“These measures have reduced pressure on courts, decongested correctional facilities, promoted co-mmunity harmony, and ensured that justice goes beyond punishment to include restoration and rehabilitation,” he said.

The Attorney-General emphasised Lagos State’s leadership in criminal justice reform, noting that several other states, including Adamawa, Anambra, Edo, Kano, Abia, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, have adopted its restorative justice model after visiting Lagos to study its framework.

He called for stronger collaboration with the police and other agencies to increase referrals and expand access to restorative justice across all divisions of the state.

He also expressed gratitude to key partners whose support has been crucial to the success of restorative justice in Lagos. These included the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, International IDEA, Professor Akeem Olajide Bello, and civil society organisations such as the Prison Fellowship of Nigeria and the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse.

Following the Attorney-General’s address, the ministry presented awards to individuals and organisations that have played critical roles in advancing restorative justice in Lagos.

The EU-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme received special double recognition for its transformative support in technical development, policy design, institutional strengthening, and long-term advocacy. The awards were received by the State Coordinator, Mrs Ajibola Ijimakinwa.

The Attorney-General  described RoLAC as a “dependable, long-standing and transformative partner”, noting that Lagos’ nationwide influence in restorative justice would not have been possible without RoLAC’s consistent support.”

In her remarks, the State Coordinator, RoLAC, Mrs  Ijimakinwa, provided insight into the Centre’s operations and future goals.

According to her, “Restorative Justice has grown over time. From the data we’ve received, over 300 cases have been referred to the Restorative Justice Unit, and that is quite huge. The numbers are still low, and we look forward to increased referrals from magistrates’ courts and the police.

“Before now, justice was mostly about punishment and incarceration. Now, victims and offenders can come together, discuss what happened, the impact of the crime, and reach agreements that ensure the victim is taken care of. We are here to sensitise the public that the Restorative Justice Unit exists in the Ministry of Justice.

“We urge judicial officers to continue reporting minor offences to the unit, ensuring people don’t go to prison unnecessarily. Awareness must increase so that, in one year, we can see more referrals. Even for cases already in the system, custodial centres can create awareness and request restorative justice when the offender appears before the court.”