The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Afam Osigwe, says 65 percent of inmates in the 244 correctional centers in the country are awaiting trial.
Osigwe made this known at the National Executive Council meeting of the NBA on Thursday in Akure.
“We should focus on pre-trial detainees, people who are in court awaiting trials. They make up over 65 percent of the prison population.
“We worry about those who are simply remanded in prison facilities without having their cases tried, or their cases taking an intolerable length of time to come to a conclusion, on account of one delay or the other.
“They are sometimes serving more time in prison than they would if the court has convicted them, or even acquiring one disease or the other in prison, or even dying,” he said.
Osigwe said that the association had mandated its Human Rights Committee to work with the chief judges of the states to ensure prison visits.
He added that the committee would also urge chief judges in various states to release defendants that were not prosecuted.
“The chief judges should also give a directive to all magistrates that if you give a remand order, you must give a return date for a review.
“If the prosecution, Ministry of Justice, fails to file a charge, they should order the release of such persons so that people do not spend time in prison detention without being charged to court.
“They should ensure that the courts, in line with provisions of the Police Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, will visit detention facilities, whether of the police, of the army, of the DSS, or of the NDLEA, to check the length of time people have been detained there.
“People should be released on bail or be charged to court, or released them entirely.
“The bar is getting this engagement to ensure that people who have no reason to be in detention are released and that people do not spend a long time in detention without a charge being filed against them,” he stated.
According to him, the NBA is embarking on advocacy to ensure that the provisions of the law avoid the ugly situation in various detention facilities.
Speaking, Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who declared the meeting open, described the NBA NEC as a momentous occasion that marked the return of the gathering to the state after a span of nearly 15 years.
Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, said that it was an opportunity to rejuvenate the professional camaraderie that bound legal practitioners and advocates for justice together.
The NBA-NEC meeting serves as a vital platform for addressing pressing issues that affect the profession, the rule of law, and the administration of justice.
“It is a time for introspection, decisive action, and a renewed commitment to the principles that have long guided our noble profession: justice, fairness, and the steadfast pursuit of the rule of law,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa said that the state government has championed unwavering commitment to a legal system that would serve the interest of all. (NAN)
