Get Guardian on GoogleTo improve access to justice and reduce overcrowding in correctional facilities, a biometric-enabled Bail Information Management System (BIMS) is being piloted in five states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The system, developed and deployed by Nigerian LegalTech company, Global T&T New Solutions Limited, connects to the National Identity Management System (NIMC) to help courts verify identities of sureties, track bail records and identify individuals who repeatedly stand surety for different defendants.
The initiative is being implemented with support from the Rule of Law
and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, implemented by International IDEA and funded by the European Union in partnership with participating state judiciaries.
The pilot stage covers Abia, Anambra, Delta and Edo States and FCT, with installations in Umuahia, Onitsha, Asaba and Benin City and Wuse, Abuja, respectively.
The Executive Director, Global T&T, Mr Musbau Famuyiwa, disclosed that the initiative came amid concerns over the number of suspects awaiting trial in correctional facilities, including those facing bailable offences but remain in detention due to difficulties associated with bail administration and verification of sureties.
He explained that BIMS is expected to provide magistrates with reliable information to support decisions on bail applications, including the verification of personal details and the identification of individuals who may have previously stood surety for other defendants.
Famuyiwa explained that some professional sureties allegedly present false names, addresses and bank statements to facilitate the release of defendants on bail. “The system is expected to help courts identify such cases and assess the credibility of proposed sureties before deciding whether bail conditions have been satisfied. However, repeatedly standing surety for different defendants is not an offence.
“Rather, the information generated by the system is intended to assist judicial officers evaluate applications and make informed decisions.” The Global T &T boss stressed that BIMS would not determine whether a defendant should be granted bail, as the responsibility remains with the court, but will provide information to strengthen the judicial process and improve the reliability of records used in bail administration.
“The system is also expected to encourage defendants to rely on genuine family members as sureties rather than pay professional sureties, who may charge substantial fees and subsequently fail to appear in court when required”, he said.
According to him, over 100 personnel were trained across the participating jurisdictions as part of the pilot programme.
BIMS was first piloted and launched in Lagos State in November 2022 under the state judiciary and the platform has so far recorded over 41,000 surety records and expanded to multiple magisterial districts.
The expansion to the five states and the FCT is expected to provide a foundation for wider adoption, with the longer-term objective of enabling participating jurisdictions to develop systems comparable to the Lagos model.
