The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Government to urgently reform Nigeria’s criminal justice and correctional systems over the prolonged detention of awaiting-trial inmates in overcrowded custodial centres.
The regional court held that detaining thousands of inmates for years without trial violates their rights to liberty, dignity, fair hearing and presumption of innocence as guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The suit was filed by Centre for Community Law, which informed the court that more than 52,000 of Nigeria’s estimated 79,000 inmates are awaiting trial, accounting for about 66 per cent of the prison population.
In its ruling, the court directed Nigeria to implement urgent prison decongestion measures, expand the use of non-custodial sentences for minor offences and establish regular judicial review mechanisms for prolonged detention cases.
The court also ordered the Federal Government to submit a compliance report within six months, detailing the number of inmates released or prosecuted as part of efforts to address the situation.
Reporting by Wahab Akinlade