IKEJA- A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Zarephath Aid, on Tuesday says 80 per cent of Nigeria’s prison population are pre-trial detainees.
The Founder of Zarephath Aid, Mr Ben Abraham, said this in Ikeja while briefing newsmen, to commemorate the International Human Rights Day.
According to him, the alarming figure puts Nigeria’s criminal justice system in a negative light.
He spoke on theme, “The Question of Increasing Pre-Trial Inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centre and the Urgent Need for Reforms”.
Abraham said that some pre-trial detainees had spent not less than 16 years awaiting trial.
He attributed the delay to various factors, which include absence of prosecution witnesses, lack of vehicles to convey inmates to court, and administrative issues affecting trial.
Abraham emphasised that speedy trial was a fundamental human right and any delay in trial was a violation of that right.
The organisation, therefore, urged the government to urgently address the issue of pre-trial detainees.
“We recommend an audit of all correctional facilities, to identify the inmates and ascertain each inmate’s case.
“We also call for the creation of special panels by the attorney-general, to expedite action in the issuance of legal advice, and engagement of NGOs to support the decongestion of prisons.
“Retired magistrates or high court judges may be employed on ad-hoc basis, and such panels can be constituted by the chief judge, to clear the backlog of awaiting trial cases at the magistrate and high courts,” Abraham said.
He, however, urged the Federal and State Governments to work with some NGOs to decongest the prisons
The group said it intervened in the release of the longest awaiting trial inmates of the Medium Correctional Centre Kirikiri, Moses Abiodun and Kazeem Adeshina.
According to him, the inmates stayed a total of 16 years, from the date of arrest in June 2008, till their recent release in June 2024. (NAN)
