The Nigeria Penal Code is a criminal law code that provides the minimum criminal standards of liability and criminal punishments. It is intended to protect the public, to promote the welfare of the society, and to prevent crime. The law aims to be both fair and just, while taking into consideration the nature of the crimes and the character of the offenders.

The code has 26 chapters. The first chapter sets out the general explanations and the first part of the code deals with the jurisdiction, the venue, the crime, and the punishment. The second part of the code is the criminal responsibility. In this part, the court is required to determine whether the crime has been committed, whether it is a criminal offense, and whether the offender is to be held responsible for the crime. The third part of the code is the punishment and compensation. In this part, the court is required to determine the sentence and the amount of the compensation to be paid by the offender.

The next three chapters are joint acts.