Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has discharged 30 awaiting trial inmates from two custodial centres in Keffi Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State.
During a visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi on Thursday, Justice Baba-Yusuf freed 24 inmates from the facility, along with six female inmates from the Keffi Old Medium Security Custodial Centre.
Addressing the media after the visit, Justice Baba-Yusuf explained that the purpose of his visit was to ensure that individuals who should not be behind bars are released.
“We are here to give hope to those who have been wrongfully detained. Many of these individuals should never have been incarcerated in the first place,” he said. “This visit is meant to ensure that those who have no reason to be in detention are released promptly.”
The Chief Judge also emphasized that this initiative would continue, with future visits planned for the Kuje and Suleja custodial centres to assess and release individuals who do not belong in the correctional system.
Justice Baba-Yusuf attributed the overcrowding and wrongful incarceration of detainees to various systemic issues, including delays by magistrates, the police, and inadequate logistics support for correctional centres to facilitate timely court appearances.
“It’s important that correctional centres are properly equipped to perform their duties effectively. This will not only speed up the delivery of justice but also help prevent the unnecessary detention of individuals who should be free,” he explained.
Lucy Abagi, CEO of the Public and Private Development Centre, expressed support for the initiative, stressing her organization’s commitment to decongesting custodial centres nationwide.
She praised the FCT Chief Judge for his efforts in visiting Keffi to discharge inmates who, in her view, should never have been incarcerated.
She also called for ongoing efforts to alleviate overcrowding in custodial facilities.
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