On the occasion of International Prisoners’ Justice Day (IPJ), the non-governmental organization Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development (The Pro Bono Centre) has called on the federal and state governments to urgently address the deplorable conditions in correctional facilities in Nigeria.
The foundation’s executive director and human rights lawyer Yusuf Nurudeen, who made this call in a statement on the occasion of IPJ Day 2024 on Sunday, also appealed for an improvement in the treatment of prisoners.
International Prisoners’ Justice Day is observed every year on August 10 and aims to raise awareness of the plight of prisoners and the impact of imprisonment on their families.
Nurudeen complained that 68 percent of all prisoners in the country’s 253 correctional facilities were awaiting trial and that many of them were being unlawfully imprisoned, dehumanized and stigmatized.
“Our Foundation sympathises with the inmates in Nigeria’s 253 correctional facilities, particularly the 56,072 inmates awaiting trial, representing 68% of the total population, who are unlawfully detained, dehumanised, stigmatised and pay the highest price through the denial of their basic rights. Many of these injustices are due to the lack of access to legal representation during trials.
“We believe it is extremely important to remind the Home Secretary of the dilapidated conditions in our prisons. Many of the facilities in these centres are outdated and overstretched.
“The incident at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre on April 25 is still fresh in our minds. We must do everything possible to prevent a recurrence of such a heinous incident,” he said.
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The foundation also stressed that urgent reforms in the country’s criminal justice system are needed to ensure humane treatment of prisoners and provide them with access to education, health care and rehabilitation programs.
“As an organization that advocates for the rights of vulnerable persons and prisoners across Nigeria, we call on the government and all stakeholders in the sector to address the systemic problems in the criminal justice system, ensure humane treatment and provide prisoners with access to education, health care and rehabilitation programs,” the statement said.
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The organization also called on state governments to enact laws enacting Fifth Amendment No. 15, which allows states to own and manage property in correctional facilities, and to make provisions for adequate and sustainable funding for the justice system.
“We urge state governments to implement the provisions of Section 121 (4B) and (4C) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which provide for adequate and sustainable funding to enable the judiciary to discharge its functions at the highest level.”
The Foundation further condemned what it described as the reckless actions of the security forces during the recent nationwide ##EndBadGovernance protests, which resulted in unnecessary loss of lives, while calling on the Federal Government to ensure that the guilty officials are brought to book.
“We call on the Nigerian police to conduct swift and systematic investigations and, if necessary, prosecute the hundreds of people arrested in connection with the protests or release them conditionally or with immediate effect.
“This must not come in the form of #EndSARs protesters. Their continued detention contributes to overcrowding in our correctional facilities, which has led to the premature deaths of many inmates,” the organization said.
