How to file a criminal suit in Nigerian lower courts

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In my one of my previous posts I wrote on how to file a civil suit in Nigerian lower courts. Today, I am writing on how to file a criminal suite in Nigerian lower courts.
Please subscribe to my next post on the difference between criminal and civil suits so you don't miss it. Just like the civil suit in the lower court, an individual can also initiate a criminal suit in a lower court, even without the help of a lawyer. I mean, the service of a lawyer is not necessary but if you can afford it, it is better for you. There are little differences between initiating a civil suit and a criminal suit in lower court. Just read attentively as I will explain them in this article. In criminal suit at times you may go through the police when initiating it in the lower courts. This may happen when you report the person you are suing to the police or when the police has arrestd the accused person before informing you. In either of the two scenarios, the police will make a preliminary investigation and frame a criminal charge against the accused person using the First Information Report (FIR) and arraign the person to court for prosecution. After the accused person is arraigned to court, the court will read to the hearing of the accused person the criminal charges made on him or her by the police. The court will ask the accused person if the content of the charge is understood. If it is not, the court will read the charge over again. In case the accused person doesn't understand the language of the court (English) the court must look for an interpreter who fully understands the accused person's language so the language of the court will be interpreted for the accused person's understanding. Failure to comply with this by the court may reneder the entire proceedings void and it gives the accused person right of appeal after the court's decision. After the accused person has understood details of the charge, the court will ask the accused person if he or she is guilty or not guilty of the criminal charge. The accused person may admit guilt if he or she is; or deny same if not guilty. Whichever one the accused person does, the court will adjourn sitting for proper hearing on a specified date and will send the accused person to prison for awaiting trial; but the accused person has the responsibility to apply for bail which the court normally grants on terms. The reason behind adjournment is to enable the parties (prosecution and accused person) to go and make preparation for proof of their cases. This may include calling witnesses and preparing any other evidence to rely on in proving their cases. Unlike the civil suit, you are not expected to pay filling fee and / or the court Belief's transport fee for service of process. Ideally, government makes provisions for these because a criminal suit is a suit between the state and the accused person. Please like our facebook page on www.facebook.com/successminds.net