By Raimot Odunayo Babalola, Mujidat Olaide Olusanya.
The Law Clinic under the Faculty of Law, Olabisi Onabanjo University, organized its first Law Clinic Symposium at the New Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Law, Olabisi Onabanjo University, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
The clinic, an initiative of the Faculty of Law, was themed “Assessing Eight Years of Criminal Justice Reform in Ogun State under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL).” Professionals from the legal field and government officials were invited as guests at the event.
The Coordinator of the Law Clinic, Dr. Aaron Salao, noted in his speech that the clinic is open to all students of OOU, specifically students from the Department of Criminology, Faculty of Social Sciences, and students of law. “We have invited different professionals from all spheres to share their ideas on the theme, so that students can learn from professionals who interact with the law regularly,” he said.
Present at the event was learned Silk, Dr. Olumide Ayeni, SAN, Principal Partner, Olumide Ayeni & Co., and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun State, who served from October 2015 to May 2019. Also in attendance were His Worship, Mr. Olakuleyin Oke, Chief Registrar, High Court of Justice, Ogun State, lecturers from the Faculty of Law, and students.
Dr. Olumide Ayeni, SAN, the keynote speaker, identified himself as having 38 years of experience in legal practice. He noted that, to be fair, he could not fully determine the effectiveness of the ACJL since he was one of its initiators, noting that only guest present at the event and students can do that, but he promised to speaker from his heart. He went on to outline the history and development of the ACJL as background and the eight vivid important innovations.
In an interview, when asked about reforms in the ACJL that exist on paper but have not been translated into everyday justice for ordinary citizens, he explained: “One thing I did not have the time to do while in office was to complete the review of the Criminal Code of Ogun State. Not only in terms of comprehensive reform, but also to consolidate various statutory sources of criminal law into a single, updated code. This would enable people, at a glance, to understand what constitutes criminal infractions in Ogun State and ensure it reflects modern-day realities. That remains something the executive will have to work on.”
He also added: “One thing we lack in this country is non-continuity of policies, and it negatively impacts people. I earnestly wish that we can cultivate that culture of continuity, building blocs and making progress.”
When further asked what roles law students and young professionals should play in advancing the next phase of criminal justice reform in Ogun State, he noted that initiatives like the symposium are part of the solution: “They are doing one now, and they have also done a lot.”
Ogunkilede Olamijulo, President of the Faculty of Law (OOULAWS), stated that he was greatly enlightened by the presentations of the guest speakers. He highlighted the profile of the keynote speaker, particularly his role as Attorney General at the time the law was passed, which placed him in a position of authority to speak on the subject.
He also noted that the initiative came from the Law Clinic, explaining that it is an arm of the Faculty of Law dedicated to clinical legal education, while still functioning as part of the faculty.
Adewale Kehinde, a 200-level student of Criminology and Security Studies noted in an interview, "As a criminology student, we haven’t really been taught much about this, as we were only briefly introduced to it. However, today I gained a deeper understanding of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act and how it safeguards individuals’ rights. It has helped a lot of victims and has made the criminal justice system faster and more reliable. I am truly thankful to the organisers and the speaker".
Another student, Daniel Shofolahan, a 400-level law student explained that he learnt a lot from the event, he said "My takeaway first of all is on the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, its impact on the criminal justice system in Ogun State over the last eight years, the challenges faced, and possible ways to improve its effectiveness."
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