Jurisprudential exposition of punishment and sentencing system under the Nigerian criminal justice system

The main objective of penal law is to secure the community against harms and repulsive activities, especially the protection of those who are weak either physically, psychologically, mentally or in a state of dependence on others. Crime and punishment are as old as the human society itself. To ensure that Criminal Law performs its various functions, punishment is central in criminal law once it is proved that a person committed a crime. This study examines the various theories of punishment and sentencing styles in the Nigerian criminal law jurisprudence. The study adopted doctrinal methodology and relied on primary sources of several statutes, decided cases and textbooks. Similarly online materials shall be relied on. The efforts found that some alternative methods of punishment adopted in some other legal systems are not applied in Nigerian criminal justice trials. The paper concluded that there can be application of the various methods of punishment and sentencing systems in Nigeria criminal justice trials. The paper recommended that the alternative methods of sentencing offenders should be applied by Nigerian courts in criminal trials.