FCT Chief Judge Husseini Baba-Yusuf discharged 35 inmates from Keffi custodial centres to ease overcrowding and curb unnecessary detentions.
Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has discharged 35 inmates from custodial centres in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The release took place on Tuesday during the judge’s visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi. Of the 35 inmates freed, 33 were men and two were women.
“There are a lot of people who shouldn’t be here in the first place. This visit is to ensure that people who have no business being here are not kept behind doors, not even for one day,” Mr Baba-Yusuf said. He added that the exercise will be conducted routinely to prevent unnecessary incarceration.
The chief judge also directed magistrates to improve oversight and case management to ensure speedy trials, warning against delays that prolong detention.
Civil society groups welcomed the initiative. Cynthia Onyeka, programme officer at the Public and Private Development Centre, said: “In Nigeria today, we have a high rate of anti-trial detentions, and this has led to overcrowded custodial centres.” She noted that PPDC paid fines of N1.5 million to support the release of some inmates.