…as Reps back CCTV use in Law school, plans nationwide oversight visits
By Gloria Ikibah
The Director General of Nigerian Law School, Professor Isa Chiroma, has reaffirmed that examination malpractice remains a serious offence, warning that any student found guilty during exams will face strict consequences. 
Professor Chiroma made this clear on Thursday during an investigative hearing held by the House of Representatives Committee on Justice, chaired by Rep. Olumide Osoba.
Naijablitznews.com reports that the session was convened to address a motion relating to the alleged withholding of Bar final results and the backlog of law graduates awaiting Call to Bar.
Addressing concerns raised in a recent petition signed by hundreds of aggrieved law graduates, many of whom had staged a peaceful protest at the gates of the National Assembly, Professor Chiroma dismissed the claims of unfair result withholding, stating that infractions such as exam malpractice remain a key reason for disqualification.
He informed the Committee that Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras had been installed across the examination halls in Abuja to monitor the conduct of students and ensure transparency during assessments.
Highlighting the standards upheld by the institution, Professor Chiroma reminded lawmakers that only the Body of Benchers has the authority to determine who is fit for Call to Bar. “Anyone who fails the Bar exams cannot be called to the Nigerian Bar,” he stated emphatically.
In a startling revelation, the DG presented visual evidence to the Committee, including footage of female students allegedly writing exam notes on their thighs and other concealed body areas, an act he described as a gross violation of professional ethics and exam integrity.
While relaying the due process being followed by the Law School in order to ensure transparency, he said: “When somebody is apprehended in the examination hall, there’s a process, first and foremost, whether it’s called Copy he came in with extraneous materials, or he came in with telephone, these are strict liability offence, whether when you are in the exam will be telephone, whether use it or not. Is a strict liability offence.
“So all these are situations, and nobody has disputed this. When this is done, they come before a Committee of management. This committee is responsible in determining whether this person is guilty or not. They are brought in, they are given opportunity to defend themselves. Most of them, what they say is that ‘its the work of devil, it will never repeat itself again’; ‘Forgive us, it was a mistake’; ‘I didn’t know this’. This is what happens. So it’s not some it’s not in dispute. You, you won’t go and say you are a committee examination but practice and there is no evidence to attach to it.
“What I want to say clearly, Law School like every organized system, has its own calendar, and whatever we do in Law School is based on this calendar. At the beginning of every session we advertised for admissions. We have timing for our when admissions will end, our lectures, internship program, when students come out to do more trial examination, timetable for examination, when result is to be processed, when result is to be out in all these things, each body has its own role.
“For example, when it comes to examination, when examinations are marked, it goes to Board of Examiners,” and passed the outcome of its findings to the Board of Studies and later to the Committee of Council, which also look at the result.
“What Council does is to either ratify or make certain decisions on these results. And in our system, once Council approved results that day that is always out on our portal. That’s how this system works. So, the issue of withholding result does not even arise. This result comes out the day Council approves.
“So when we saw that people were writing to National Assembly to say that they should intervene to ask us to release result that we withheld, there’s no reason withholding result. Any result withheld in Law School has to do for example, with examination malpractice.”
Responding to the House resolution on ‘Call to Bar, he said the call to bar is not an activity of Council regarding Law School. It is the activity of Body of Benchers by regulation, and Body of Benchers also like I’ve said, every system has its own calendar. The Body of Benchers has decided long ago, Call to Bar will be in July and November. And that’s the reason why those who passed by examination are going to be Call to Bar, specifically on the 8th to 10th of July this year, and another group that the backlog from 18 to 20 of November. That is how this process work.”
Responding to the presentation made by the Nigerian Law School, Chairman of the House Committee, Rep. Osoba, said the committee was pleased with the use of CCTV cameras in the Abuja campus to curb examination malpractice.
He noted that the National Assembly would consider making more funds available to ensure CCTV cameras are installed in all Law School campuses across the country.
Hon. Osoba also commended the Law School management for presenting clear visual evidence of students caught cheating during exams, saying it showed the institution was serious about maintaining discipline.
He added that the Committee would visit all Law School campuses in the coming weeks to see the facilities for themselves and assess the general condition of infrastructure.
