Tripartite committee tasked to enhance access to justice for prison inmates

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has set up a tripartite committee to enhance access to justice for prison inmates, suffering diverse forms of injustice.

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The committee, with members drawn from the NHRC, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) and the Nigeria Correctional Services (NCoS), was inaugurated at the NHRC headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, said the tripartite committee would not only work to guarantee for access to justice, but would also make the goal more realistic.

Mr Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said while the NHRC would monitor and audit inmates, LACON would provide legal representation, and NCoS would facilitate access to inmates in need of justice.

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The Controller General of Corrections, represented by Lakitile Cyrus, stated that the committee “represents more than just an institutional engagement.”

“It signifies the dawn of a new era of partnership, dialogue, and shared commitment to the advancement of human rights within the Nigerian correctional system.”

He said the NCoS considered the initiative “as a unique opportunity to reinforce the noble objectives of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019, which places critical challenges on the dignity, welfare, and rehabilitation of persons deprived of liberty.”

“We prepare this committee to serve as the catalyst for innovative activities in correctional administration anchored on the principles of human dignity and justice,” he said.

The Director, Civil and Political Rights, NHRC, Halilu Adamu, stated the objectives of the committee to include addressing challenges in the three institutions making up the committee and reaching a resolution,.

According to him, the committee will also see to the reduction of the number of awaiting trial inmates, and promoting human rights practices within the NCoS, including the mental health needs of the staff.

The Director General of LACON, Aliyu Abubakar, lamented that some inmates spend more time awaiting trial than they would have spent if convicted. He described it as an abnormality.

“The essence of our work is to make sure that people who are taken to court when they are supposed to be, and nobody should stay in the correctional service longer than he is supposed to stay. So this is a godly work, this is humanitarian work, and we want to ensure that as much as possible we try to help our relations, our cousins, our fellow Nigerians so that they can be able to do well.

“We don’t want any criminal to escape justice. This is not the intention of what we want to do.”

Pre-trial detainees in Nigeria

A prevalent problem in the NCoS, which reflects dysfunctionality in Nigeria criminal justice system, is the large number of pre-trial detainees. A report stated that over 70 percent of inmates are awaiting trial, and those accused of capital offences may spend 10 years in pretrial detention.

This has implications such as overcrowding in custodial centres and injustice for those who have been wrongly accused.

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Despite the enactment of the Administration of Criminal and Justice Act, 2015, to enhance the protection of human rights during investigations and speed up trials, compliance remains low.

In March, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the NHRC and a law firm, The Firma Advisory, made a call for judicial reforms aimed at clearing the backlog of cases and enhancing access to justice in Nigeria.