As part of its mandate to provide continuing education, training, and professional development for judicial officers and court staff, the National Judicial Institute hosted a Refresher Course for Judges of the Superior Courts on the Management of Evidence in Trial at the Andrew Otutu Obaseki Auditorium, Abuja.
The 5-day programme commenced with a welcome address by Administrator of the Institute, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo, OFR, who welcomed participants and reiterated the commitment of the Institute to continuous judicial education and capacity building.
Declaring the course open, Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman, Board of Governors of the Institute, Hon. Justice Kudirat M. O. Kekere-Ekun, GCON, FNJI emphasized that Evidence remains the foundation upon which judicial decisions are built, particularly in the face of increasingly complex disputes and evolving forms of evidence.
Hon. Justice Kekere-Ekun, GCON expressed that Undue or routine adjournments to rule on issues of admissibility should be discouraged, as they contribute to delay and undermine the momentum of trial proceedings. My Lord highlighted the central role of the Evidence Act in adjudication and the need for active judicial case management, and the responsibility of judges to deliver clear, timely, and well-reasoned rulings that strengthen public confidence in the justice system.
In the same vein, one of the key sessions explored written testimony in practice, focusing on inconsistencies, manipulation, and hidden bias in witness statements, depositions, and affidavits. The session was facilitated by the Chief Executive Officer of Forensic Electronic and Digital Law Consultancy, Hon. Justice (Prof.) Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye (Rtd), Participants were guided on how judges can detect manipulation and bias through conceptual tools, practical indicators, and judicial techniques.
The session examined inconsistencies, such as conflicting timelines, omissions, event descriptions, and contradictions between affidavits and annexures, as well as prior statements by the same witness and contradictions across witnesses.
The programme further featured interactive case study sessions where participants were divided into three groups. Group One examined “The Polished Confession,” focusing on manipulation, over-legislation, and unnatural precision in police statements, with presentations led by Justice Oyebanji of the Lagos State Judiciary and the Secretary to the Judiciary of Taraba State. Group Two analysed “The Self-Defeating Affidavit,” highlighting internal and intra-conflict inconsistencies in affidavits, with representatives from the Osun State Judiciary stressing the need for judges to scrutinise affidavit evidence carefully. Group Three discussed “The Vanishing Effect,” which addressed silence and omission as forms of inconsistency. These exercises reinforced the importance of vigilance and critical evaluation of evidence in judicial decision-making.
The programme concluded with a group photograph of participants, marking a successful and enriching engagement aimed at strengthening judicial competence in evidence management and enhancing the quality of trial adjudication across the superior courts.
