The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has disclosed that 56,131 non-sentenced inmates are currently languishing in various custodial centres nationwide as at November 2024.
The NCoS said the affected inmates were supposed to be serving their punishment through community service, but the situation occurred because of lack of funding and legal conflicts.
This has also led to the failure of the community service programme to take off alongside the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, when it was signed in 2015.
According to a report by the Weekend Trust, the Federal Ministry of Interior, which supervises the NCoS, revealed that there are 83,624 inmates, of which 56,131 are awaiting trial.
The ministry revealed further that those convicted – 27,053 – represent 32 per cent of the total inmates, while the 56,131 awaiting trial represent 68 percent.
The reports said not all the awaiting-trial inmates would receive non-custodial punishment when sentenced, however , a substantial number would.
The ministry said as of July 29, only 500 inmates had been jailed with punishments under the non-custodial measures, of which 383 are to perform community service.
Many of these awaiting-trial inmates allegedly committed wandering, affray, traffic, disease control breaches, burglary and stealing that would have been subject to community service.
It was also learnt that many awaiting-trial and sentenced inmates are kept in the same facility for a long time at the custodial centre in Kuje, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Reacting, the Secretary of the Federal Justice Sector Reform Committee in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Felix Ota-Okojie, said the Nigerian Correctional Service, the High Courts and the Ministry of Interior were responsible for implementing the measures but all failed to do that.
Ota-Okojie said in cases where they need to apply non-custodial measures as sanctions, they would do so as provided in the ACJA.
According to Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, there was need for the implementation of non-custodial measures through the harmonisation of the ACJA and the Nigerian Correctional Service Act to remove existing bottlenecks.
The CG said the delay in the conclusion of criminal cases impacted on public confidence in the judiciary.
“We owe our citizens a fit and fair legal process, which will serve as a clarion call to all actors in the criminal justice system that is from law enforcement and judiciary to fulfill their duties with efficiency and due diligence,” he said.
