The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACoN) has successfully secured the release of 36 inmates from two custodial centres in Nasarawa State as part of its ongoing jail delivery initiative aimed at decongesting correctional facilities nationwide.

The exercise, conducted under the leadership of LACoN Director General Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, resulted in the discharge of 24 inmates from the Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre and six female inmates from the Old Keffi Custodial Centre.

The release operation was carried out with support from the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf, who accompanied the LACoN team during the visit.

Speaking to journalists, Justice Baba Yusuf emphasized the importance of ensuring justice for wrongfully detained individuals. "All we want is to restore hope to the hopeless. Some of these individuals should never have been in custody in the first place," he stated.

The Chief Judge highlighted significant challenges within the justice delivery system, particularly noting the lack of logistics support needed to transport inmates to court for trial, which often results in prolonged detention periods.

"The correctional centers need to be properly equipped with necessary facilities. This will not only support justice delivery but also prevent situations where innocent citizens remain behind bars due to systemic delays," Justice Baba Yusuf added.

Mr. Abubakar attributed the success of the initiative to collaborative efforts from various stakeholders, particularly acknowledging the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), a non-governmental organization dedicated to justice sector reforms.

Lucy Abagi, CEO of the PPDC, reaffirmed her organization's commitment to reducing overcrowding in correctional facilities across Nigeria.

The Chairperson of the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Abuja chapter, Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, expressed concern over the circumstances that led to the detention of the six released women. She pledged increased efforts by FIDA to educate women on their legal rights to prevent future incarcerations resulting from ignorance or marginalization.

Barrister Oliver Chukwuma, Acting Director of the Decongestion Department at LACoN, has been tasked with following up on pending cases to facilitate additional releases.

The Controller of the Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre, Yau Ibrahim, expressed gratitude to the visiting team, describing the initiative as a welcome step toward easing overcrowding and improving conditions within the facilities.

According to officials, the jail delivery exercise will continue with scheduled visits to the Kuje and Suleja correctional centres as part of the broader national prison decongestion strategy.