Today marks a significant milestone in the effort to address the crisis of irrational and interminable pretrial detention in Nigeria. Force Order 20, which is launched today, institutionalizes the Police Duty Solicitor Scheme (PDSS) in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). It is the result of over one decade of partnership involving the NPF, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) and civil society, including the Rights Enforcement and Public Law Centre (REPLACE) and the Open Society Justice Initiative.