NBA directs boycott Of Ekiti Magistrate Oluwadare over order on arrest Of Lawyers,

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has decried the congestion of the correctional centers in the country, saying over 65 percent of inmates are currently standing trial and awaiting verdict.

The President of the NBA, Chief Afam Osigwe, disclosed this at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the legal professionals on Thursday in Akure Ondo state.

Osigwe lamented that delay in the trial of the inmates was becoming worrisome, adding that the development has also led to the congestion of the prison facilities nationwide.

“We should focus on pre-trial detainees because people who are in court awaiting trials. And they make up over 65 percent of the prison population.

“We worry about those who are simply remanded in prison facilities without having their cases tried, or their case taking an intolerable length of time to come to conclusion, on account of one delay or the other,” he told journalists in an interview shortly after the meeting.

He said the association has mandated its Human Rights Committee to work with the chief judges of the states to ensure they visit the correctional centres or in the custody of the security agencies to see the condition of the inmates.

According to Osigwe, the committee would advise the chief judges in the states to release the defendants who were not prosecuted.

“If the prosecution, Ministry of Justice, fails to file a charge, that they should order the release of such persons so that people do not spend time in prison detention without being charged to court.

“They should ensure that the courts, in line with provisions of the Police Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, will visit detention facilities, whether of the police, of the army, of the DSS, of the NDLEA to check the length of time people have been detained there,” he added.

While stressing that people should be released on bail or be charged to court, or released entirely, Osigwe said the NBA was embarking on advocacy to ensure the provision of the law was duly followed in order to avoid the ugly situation in various detention facilities.

“The bar is getting this engagement to ensure that people who have no reason being in detention are released, and that people do not spend a long time in detention without a charge being filed against them.”

The State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in his speech, said the NBA stands as the preeminent professional body for lawyers in Nigeria, playing a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s legal and democratic framework.

Represented by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Kayode Ajulo, the governor noted that the NBA has consistently championed the cause of judicial independence, the protection of human rights, and the accountability of governmental institutions.

He added that it was an opportunity to rejuvenate the professional camaraderie that bound legal practitioners and advocates for justice together.

“It is a time for introspection, decisive action, and a renewed commitment to the principles that have long guided our noble profession: justice, fairness, and the steadfast pursuit of the rule of law,” Aiyedatiwa said.