THE Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Husseini Baba-Yusuf, has ordered the release of 35 inmates from custodial centres in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The decision was taken during his visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Keffi, on Tuesday, September 24, as part of efforts to decongest facilities and address cases of prolonged pre-trial detention.
The freed inmates comprised 33 men and two women. Among them was Mohammed Abdullahi, who had been in custody for one year without appearing before any court in Nigeria.
Punch reported that Baba-Yusuf explained that the visit was aimed at ensuring that people who should not be in custody regain their freedom.
“Today, we have been able to set free 35 people who have no business being here, and that is a huge boost,” he said.
He added that the exercise would become a routine practice to prevent citizens from languishing in custody unnecessarily.
“Some of those released are unwell, some have stayed here for too long without trial, and others have not been cited for any genuine offence,” the Chief Judge noted.
Baba-Yusuf also directed magistrates under the FCT judiciary to strengthen case management and ensure speedy trials. According to him, court delays worsen congestion in custodial facilities and violate the rights of inmates.
The initiative was supported by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), a non-governmental organisation that paid fines totalling N1.5 million to facilitate some of the releases.
Programme Officer of PPDC, Cynthia Onyeka, said the organisation’s involvement was part of efforts to promote access to justice and reduce the high rate of pre-trial detentions in Nigeria.
“This activity presents an opportunity for the Chief Judge to come to the custodial centres in an effort to decongest the system,” she said.
The Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Abuja Branch, Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, commended the judiciary and civil society organisations for assisting inmates, especially women, who are often unable to pay fines or meet bail conditions.
At the Keffi custodial centre, which currently houses 667 inmates, the Officer in Charge, Sumaila Bulus, described the release as a relief but appealed for logistics support. He said inadequate vehicles for transporting inmates to courts remained a major challenge.
Asked why the FCT Chief Judge should free inmates in Nasarawa State, lawyers told to The ICIR that some inmates from the FCT are sent to custodial centres in Nasarawa State due to congestion at the Kuje Custodial Centre. According to therm, it is only such inmates linked to FCT cases that the Chief Judge of the FCT can discharge in Nasarawa.
The release of the inmates comes weeks after a jailbreak at the same facility on August 12, 2025, when 16 inmates escaped after overpowering security personnel. Seven of them have since been recaptured, while nine remain at large, according to the Nigerian Correctional Service.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance