By Mercy Gadia Adi
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) have inaugurated a tripartite committee to address the growing problem of inmates languishing in detention without trial across the country.
The committee, named the Joint Committee on Collaborative Initiatives and Dialogue Platform, was formally launched on Friday at the NHRC headquarters in Abuja.
Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN), said the initiative was informed by increasing concern over the large number of people being held in correctional centres for prolonged periods without trial. He noted that many of them have already spent more time in custody than the sentences they would likely have received if convicted.
“All inmates are entitled to adequate legal representation, regardless of poverty, indigence, or systemic delays,” Ojukwu said. “We can no longer ignore the backlog and constitutional violations taking place.”
He further observed that in many cases, suspects are arrested before proper investigations are conducted, which breaches the constitutional requirement that detainees be brought before a court within 48 hours.
“The correctional system has become a holding ground for victims of a broken justice process,” he said. “We need seamless cooperation between our institutions to change this reality.”
The joint committee is structured around the mandates of the three agencies. Under the arrangement, the NHRC will monitor rights violations, publish findings and ensure compliance with national and international human rights standards. LACON will provide free legal representation for indigent inmates who are unable to secure counsel. NCoS will facilitate access to inmates and strengthen institutional support for court attendance and legal processing.
The committee is composed of senior officials from the three institutions. From the NCoS are Mr. Julius O. Osemwegie (Controller of Corrections), Mrs. Okibe Agbenu (Chief Superintendent of Corrections) and Mr. Lawrence Bassey Esq. (Superintendent of Corrections).
Representing LACON are Barr. Dauda Hassan (Director, Civil Justice), Mr. Oliver Chukwuma (Head of Department, Correctional Centre Decongestion) and Mr. Chiroma Ibrahim Ahmed (Special Adviser to the Director-General, Chief Legal Aid).
NHRC’s representatives are Benedict Agu (Head, Monitoring Department), Halilu Adamu Esq. (Director, Civil and Political Rights) and Kabiru Elayo (Head, National Preventive Mechanism).
Representing the Comptroller-General of the NCoS, ACG L.C. Cyprus said the inauguration signalled “the dawn of a new era.”
“This goes beyond institutional alignment. It’s about shared values, human dignity, due process, and justice,” he said.
Director-General of LACON, Aliyu B. Abubakar, assured that the council was fully committed to providing legal aid for those who cannot afford it. He described the committee as “a lifeline for the voiceless,” stressing that some inmates have remained behind bars for up to 10 years without trial.
“That’s not justice. It’s institutional punishment,” he said.
The formation of the tripartite committee is seen as a recognition of systemic failures in Nigeria’s criminal justice system. By combining human rights oversight, legal aid services and correctional coordination, the initiative seeks to ensure that no detainee remains in custody longer than the law permits or without access to legal representation.
Stakeholders expressed hope that the collaboration will serve as a blueprint for broader reforms, strengthen institutional accountability, and restore justice to thousands of Nigerians who have been denied it for years.