Over 900 Inmates Awaiting Trial In Plateau – NCoS Controller
The Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) in Plateau State, Mr. Ezekiel Kagah, has disclosed that over 900 inmates in the state’s correctional centre are currently awaiting trial.
He made this known during a working visit by the Director-General of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON), Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, to the facility in Jos on Tuesday.
According to Mr. Kagah, the correctional centre currently houses nearly 2,000 inmates, with more than 1,000 already convicted and serving various sentences, while the remaining 900 are yet to have their cases concluded in court.
The controller, who assumed duty in December 2024, revealed that some of the inmates had not appeared in court since as far back as 2017.
He attributed this troubling situation to the long distances between the correctional centres where the inmates were being held and the courts handling their cases.
“Inmates were stuck for years without any legal progress simply because they were being held far from the courts where their trials were scheduled. To address this, we initiated a collaboration with the judiciary and facilitated the transfer of such inmates to correctional centres nearer to the courts trying their cases,” Kagah said.
He praised the Legal Aid Council’s persistent efforts to ensure that Nigerians, particularly indigent and vulnerable citizens, have access to legal representation.
He said, The council’s commitment in promoting access to justice for Nigerians, especially the indigents who cannot afford legal representation, is highly commendable. Kagah also pledged the Plateau NCS Command’s support and collaboration with LACON, describing them as “partners in progress.”
In his remarks, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar stated that the purpose of his visit was to formally introduce the Council’s plan to inaugurate a Committee of Legal Service Providers in Plateau State.
The committee, he said, is aimed at strengthening the delivery of legal aid services across the state and ensuring that justice is not only done but seen to be done.
“The establishment of this committee is part of our broader efforts to streamline legal aid interventions and bridge the justice gap for indigent Nigerians,” Abubakar noted.
THE WHISTLER reports that the Committee of Legal Service Providers is scheduled for inauguration on Wednesday in Jos by the Director-General.
The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has been at the forefront of offering pro bono legal services to underprivileged Nigerians, a mission increasingly important given the country’s congested correctional centres and the high number of inmates awaiting trial.
Over 900 Inmates Awaiting Trial In Plateau – NCoS Controller is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
