Prison Decongestion: LACON to represent 74 inmates in court within FCT

The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON), recently visited kuje and Suleja correctional centers and interviewed a total number of 74 inmates whose offences ranged from Fraud, Manslaughter, Theft, Criminal breach of trust, rape and so on. The affected inmates who gave their consent for representation by signing the questioner form have all been assigned with a lawyer for representation in various courts within (FCT) Federal Capital Territory.

What is worrisome, is the age brackets of those alleged offenders.  About 50 of them are under 20 years of age with minor offences. Also, there are those within the cell who have been granted bail but could not meet up with their bail conclusion, some as little as N10,000, N20,000 etc.

Another group are those that after their release, within 3-4 months intervals, are found in custody again. Based on this, the Deputy controller of corrections Kuje C P JEN after ordering that the warrant be made available to LAC advised that while trying to release them, LAC should also think of a way to settle them and integrate them into the society either through skills acquisition and provision of starter packs. Research shows that Legal Aid Council have in the past assisted the released inmates when her budgetary allocation was something to write home about but these days the funds are not available as the council is battling with her lean allocation to see that it lives up to expectation as mandated in the legal aid act of 2011.

The federal government has put everything in place, hence, those that are serving various terms in custody need to uplift themselves. In Kuje and Suleja there are various skills acquisition centers such as shoe /bag making workshops, carpentry/tailoring workshops etc. Furthermore, there are open university centers, NECO and WAEC centers and full time secondary schools. The only challenge is the issue of awaiting trial inmates which the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria remains the official voice of the voiceless citizens of Nigeria.

The custodial center visit was organized by the Director in charge of Criminal Justice Department Abdul Fattah Adewale Bakre.