The Legal Aid Council has vowed to provide legal representation for inmates without lawyers, aiming to improve access to justice.
The Director of Prisons at the Legal Aid Council, Olise Chukwuma, reaffirmed the commitment at a public hearing on corruption and human rights violations against the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) in Abuja. He said the council works with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and non-governmental organizations like Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) to help inmates.
Chukwuma stressed that the forthcoming Correctional Information Management System would improve the council’s ability to identify Inmates needing representation. He also noted that the council’s efforts would help reduce prison overcrowding, wrongful incarceration, and corruption within correctional facilities.
UNICEF’s Chief of Child Protection, Ibrahim Sesay, commended the Minister of Interior for his transparency in reforming the correctional system. He urged stakeholders to focus on justice, transparency, and whistleblower protection to ensure fair treatment for inmates.
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, praised the government’s efforts to investigate human rights violations in prisons. He emphasised that rehabilitation and reintegration should be priorities for correctional facilities.
“The correctional system is not just about keeping people in prison but also preparing them for life after incarceration,” Osigwe said.
The NBA pledged its support to ensure the investigative panel uncovers the truth and that Legal Aid Inmates receive the justice they deserve.
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