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Need for Unification of Criminal Law in Nigeria
Nlerum S. Okogbule
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DOI:10.17265/1548-6605/2026.01.001
Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
This paper argues that Nigeria’s fragmented criminal law framework is long overdue for a reset. With the Criminal Code operating in the South, the Penal Code in the North, and a patchwork of federal statutes layered on top, the system generates inconsistent definitions of offences, uneven sentencing practices, and messy jurisdictional overlaps that weaken both accountability and public trust. The paper contends that this fragmentation undermines constitutional commitments to equality before the law and creates avoidable barriers to national coherence in criminal justice, especially in an era shaped by rapidly evolving security threats, digital crimes, and human-rights-centred governance demands. Drawing on comparative insights from jurisdictions that have successfully consolidated their criminal law, the study evaluates pathways for harmonising Nigeria’s codes without erasing legitimate regional sensitivities. It highlights the potential of a unified criminal law to streamline enforcement, modernise substantive offences, strengthen due process guarantees, and support a more coordinated federal/state response to crime. The paper ultimately positions unification not as a technocratic exercise but as a necessary governance reform capable of enhancing legal certainty, promoting fairness, and aligning Nigeria’s justice system with contemporary global standards.
criminal law unification, legal fragmentation, criminal justice reform
Nlerum S. Okogbule.Need for Unification of Criminal Law in Nigeria.US-China Law Review, Jan.-Feb. 2026, Vol. 23, No. 1, 1-15
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