Inmates awaiting trial have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to put an end to their endless stay in prison without trial by setting a time-limit on court cases in the country as it is in the developed countries.
Speaking during a visit to the Kaduna Medium Custodial Center by the Ansar-ud-deen Society Kaduna Branch, the inmates said they have been in prison for several months, while their cases have stagnated, and their trials have stopped.
They urged the President and the National Assembly to set time-limit on court cases to enable quick dispensation of cases, end innocent Nigerians’ long term in prison awaiting trial and decongest the correctional centers.
According to the Chief Imam of Ansar-ud-deen Society Kaduna Branch, Alhaji AbdulAzeez Kijan, who led the delegation on the visit, our study showed that (76%) 1,273 of the 1,669 total inmates at the Kaduna Medium Custodial Center as at the time of the visit are awaiting trials.
He said among the inmates, 1,233 of the 1,626 males (76%) and 40 of the 47 females (85%), were awaiting trial saying, “The cases are not too different in other custodial centers across the country as there are overwhelming number of inmates awaiting trial compared to few number of convicted inmates.”
He, however, noted that they are at the correctional center to visit the inmates and to present the inmates with food items, drugs, sanitary pads, provisions, used clothes and toiletries, as part of the society’s Ramadan Welfare Programme to the less privileged in the society.
He admonished the inmates to be of good behaviour as preached by the two holy books and to always imbibe the values learnt during Ramadan while in the prison and especially when they regain their freedom so that they can be seen as good members of the society and have no cause to return to the correctional center again.
According to one of the inmates, Malam Sabitu Isah, they have spent several months in custody, while their cases seem not to be progressing.
“Most of us are awaiting trial. We have spent long term in this prison but our cases have stagnated. Government should help us by setting a time-frame for court cases across the country from start to finish”.
Also speaking, another inmate, Malam Ibrahim Hassan, said he has made few appearances in court but there has been no news about the case for a long time.
“Most of us are awaiting trials and our cases are not progressing. I started going to court but my case has stopped for a long time. It’s not proceeding. Government should help us by ensuring that our cases are completed on time so that we can know our fates. Some of the cases are being tried at the magistrate court which lacked jurisdiction to look into the cases.”
For Malam Abdullahi Halidu, who is in prison for owing N650,000, he appealed to government and philanthropists to come to his aid to help him pay the debt, so that he can regain his freedom.
“I have been here in the prison for one year awaiting trial because i’m owing N650,000 and they have not taken me to court. I don’t have the money to pay, but if government, an individual or an organization can help me pay the debt I will forever be grateful to them.”
