KEY POINTS
- Legal Aid Council prison visits continue nationwide.
- The prison visits identify unrepresented inmates.
- Legal Aid Council prison visits highlight facility gaps.
The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria said it has continued its quarterly visits to custodial centres nationwide despite limited resources, underscoring its mandate to reduce prison congestion and expand access to justice for indigent inmates.
In a statement issued Friday by Assistant Director, Press, Amaka Agbaih, the council said a team of lawyers recently visited a correctional facility to engage awaiting trial inmates and document cases of those without legal representation.
The delegation was led by Assistant Director Ogechukwu Ibenegbu, who represented Director-General Aliu Bagudu Abubakar and stood in for the Director of the Decongestion Unit, Oliver Chukwuma.
Legal Aid Council prison visits focus on representation
During the visit, inmates lacking legal counsel were identified for follow-up court appearances within the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State. The team also provided counselling and legal advice to detainees with pending matters before various courts.
Officials of the correctional facility outlined operational challenges, including inadequate vehicles for transporting inmates to court. Assistant Controller of Corrections Sunday Ejeh said only four vehicles are available, limiting daily court attendance.
He added that the facility’s clinic faces urgent needs, with a non-functional laboratory and shortages of basic medication. As a result, the prison relies largely on external medical outreach programmes.
The prison visits highlight infrastructure gaps
Ejeh said the training unit is constrained by a lack of computers and educational materials required to establish an Open University study centre for inmates.
The council commended prison authorities for maintaining a functional borehole that ensures adequate water supply. Officials also described the female section as orderly and said 40 inmates are participating in vocational training programmes, including tailoring, knitting, bead making, and bag and shoe production. The council observed no visible skin-related health concerns among inmates during the inspection.
In her closing remarks, Ibenegbu thanked prison officials for facilitating the visit and called for an online system to streamline submission of details of awaiting trial inmates requiring legal representation. She said digitising the process would enhance timely intervention and support the council’s decongestion efforts.
