Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has released 30 inmates awaiting trial from two custodial centres in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
During his visit to the Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre on Thursday, Justice Baba-Yusuf ordered the release of 24 inmates from the centre.
He also released six female inmates from the nearby Keffi Old Medium Security Custodial Centre.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, the chief judge said the goal was to ensure that people who have no reason to be in prison are set free.
“We’re giving hope to the hopeless. Many of these individuals shouldn’t have been here in the first place. This visit is to make sure that no one is kept behind bars unnecessarily, even for a single day,” he said.
He added that this was just the beginning, and similar visits will be made to other custodial centres in Kuje and Suleja to free those wrongfully detained.
Justice Baba-Yusuf pointed to several causes of the overcrowding in correctional facilities, including delays by magistrates, police inefficiency, and the lack of resources for correctional centres to transport inmates to court regularly.
He emphasized the need to properly equip correctional facilities so they can function effectively, adding, “This will speed up the delivery of justice and prevent people from being locked up when they should be free.”
Lucy Abagi, CEO of the Public and Private Development Centre, praised the chief judge for taking action and reaffirmed her organization’s commitment to reducing overcrowding in custodial centres nationwide. She also stressed the importance of continued efforts to free those unjustly held.
