By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA – The Federal Government has declared a decisive push to slash the number of inmates languishing in custody without trial, describing the situation as a glaring injustice and a major driver of prison congestion nationwide.
Interior Minister, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the vow on Wednesday during a surprise inspection of the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja.
He lamented that awaiting trial inmates outnumber convicted persons by almost four to one.
“In this facility, over 200 inmates are convicted, while more than 804 are still awaiting trial. Some of them have spent longer in custody than the sentences they would have served if convicted. This cannot continue,” the minister declared.
He said the government, working with the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation AGF and the Nigerian Bar Association NBA, was ready to dismantle bottlenecks that delay justice. L
“In the coming weeks, Nigerians will see a drastic reduction in the number of awaiting trial inmates. This is a promise,” Tunji-Ojo said.
NBA President, Afam Osigwe, who joined the inspection, confirmed that the association was already reviewing data of inmates to identify cases where detention had exceeded possible jail terms.
“We are prepared to step in legally to secure the release of those unjustly kept in custody,” he said.
The minister also put the spotlight on inmate rehabilitation, praising prisoners who have embraced vocational and academic training.
Touring workshops and classrooms, including those run by the National Open University of Nigeria NOUN, he said the effort showed custodial centres could produce transformed, skilled citizens rather than hardened criminals.
“You are not condemned people; you are raw materials being refined into useful products for society. When you leave here, you should be empowered to live self-reliant, sustainable lives”, he told the inmates.
Currently, 78 inmates are enrolled in a two-week technical training conducted by the Nigerian Institute of Building NIoB and Chemical and Allied Products Plc CAP, exceeding the 50 originally planned due to overwhelming interest. Trainees will receive National Skills Qualification NSQ certification after assessment.
Tunji-Ojo said such programmes proved the correctional system could live up to its name, but insisted that meaningful rehabilitation could only happen once overcrowding and delays in justice were tackled head-on.
“We are not paying lip service. Decongesting our prisons and restoring justice to those unjustly detained is a national priority,” he affirmed.
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