The president of the Nigerian Society for Criminology (NSC), Professor Oludayo Tade, on Monday lamented the congestion of Nigerian correctional centres, urging the judiciary to use non-custodial sentences more for less serious offences as one way to decongest overcrowded custodial facilities and reduce the number of inmates awaiting trial.
He stressed the urgency of addressing the high number of awaiting-trial inmates, noting that 53,234 (66%) of the total inmate population (81,234) were awaiting trial, contributing significantly to overcrowding and systemic inefficiencies.
Tade stated that the number of awaiting trial inmates in Nigeria’s custodial facilities impacts the welfare of both correctional service personnel and the inmates’ desire to access justice.
The NSC president stated this while speaking in Ibadan at the just-concluded 3rd international conference of the society, which was held at the University of Abuja and themed “Correctional service reformation in Nigeria: Promoting justice, rehabilitation, and social reintegration.”
The conference keynote speaker was the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, who spoke on “2019 Correctional Service Act: Challenges and prospects for effective implementation.”
Represented by the controller of corrections, Dr Tukura Yakubu, the controller-general advocated the co-location of the courts and the custodial facilities, which, according to him, would hasten justice dispensation and remove some of the logistical challenges associated with taking inmates to court.
He also pushed for the use of technology to improve access to justice and hasten quick dispensation of cases before the courts, “Technology adaptation in investigation, trial and corrections is possible if we leverage on technology”
The CGC also implored legal practitioners to increase their interventions, “By way of offering pro bono services to inmates that cannot afford legal representation”.
In his goodwill message, director general State Security Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi who was represented by the assistant director, Criminal Cases Department, Directorate of Legal Services, Cynthia Uche Orjinta noted that the theme of the conference resonates with the collective aspiration for a just and equitable society adding that, “true justice encompasses the reformation (of offenders) and their successful reintegration as productive members of the society.’’
