ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a background for witness protection in Nigeria which is still at an early developmental stage. Witness protection has been introduced in the criminal justice systems of several states as a recognized tool for facilitating the cooperation of witnesses and ensuring that concerns about their safety are not ignored. In Nigeria, the relevance of witness protection as a critical aspect of criminal justice administration is increasingly becoming evident. Recent developments in Nigeria highlight the need to clarify legal and conceptual issues within the existing legal framework for protecting witnesses. This chapter provides a brief introduction of witness protection and its emergence in Nigeria. It also includes the scope and aim of the book as well the justification for the book.
