Abstract: | Private prosecution as used in this article refers to prosecution initiated by any person who is not a public official, conducted either by the complainant himself or by a private legal practitioner engaged by him. The article traces from a historical perspective the role of the private prosecutor in Nigerian traditional society and under its present legal system. It then examines the powers, obligations and importance of the private prosecutor in Nigeria today, and identifies and suggests the checks and balances that are needed to preserve the right of the citizen to seek judicial redress by private prosecution when otherwise justice would be denied. Notes, ref. |