Ms. Abagi with FCT CJ and others

NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia

Eighteen mates awaiting trial for various offences have regained freedom. Their freedom came on the heels of the visit of the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Yusuf Baba and practitioners in the justice sector from the FCT to the facility domiciled in Kefii, Nasarawa State. Through the intervention of the Public Private Development Centre, 18 inmates who had been held for their inability to pay fines or perfect bail conditions were set free by the FCT CJ, following the payment of the fines and other indebtedness totalling N3.03 million by the PPDC.

Speaking at the event, which was held in an open court format inside the Medium Security Correctional Centre, the CJ thanked the PPDC for its commitment to the advancement of the justice sector, especially in the promotion of human rights across the country. He singled out the non-governmental organisation for praise because of the interventions rendered towards enhancing the speedy delivery of justice as well as helping people unjustly incarcerated to regain freedom. “Thank you for the visible intervention you have made for the advancement of justice in this country,” Justice Yusuf said while appreciating the organisation for helping the indigent inmates perfect their bail conditions or pay off indebtedness that led to their detention.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Executive of PPDC, Lucy James Abagi noted that her organisation is worried that “Over 80,000 young people are held in correctional centres across Nigeria, which is not good for our economy as a country.” She noted that the visit to the Correctional Centre, as part of the FCT chief Judge’s visit to the penitentiary, is informed by the desire “To see that the young people that are here, who are not supposed to be here, leave this place immediately. As you witnessed today, we saw people that are here who were granted bail but could not afford a sum as low as N20,000, some people have been here due to gender-based violence – women are here who have been abused and the perpetrators wanted to punish them for saying no; to them by throwing them into prison and they have been held here for years and for weeks and for months, which is against the law.”

Ms. Abagi expressed optimism that the exercise in Keffi could be replicated all over the country so that more awaiting trial detainees can be freed, if found to have been unjustly held. “The fact that the FCT CJ could find the time to come means we are moving in the right direction. We are hoping that other CJS across the states will take this initiative and conduct a jail delivery exercise and ensure that correction centres can only hold people who are due for criminal issues,” she nudged.