NHRC, Legal Aid Council Of Nigeria, Nigerian Correctional Service Collaborate To Facilitate Justice For Detainees

The Executive Secretary, NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, (center) flanked by the Representative of the Comptroller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr. Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, by ACG L.C. Cyprus (right) and the Director General of the Legal Aids Council of Nigeria, Mr. Aliyu B. Abubakar. All serves as co-chairmen of the committee. Photo credit: Optimum Times, 12/09/2025.

….Constitute a tripartite committee to ease access to Justice system.

Moved by the growing number of inmates awaiting trials at the nation’s Correctional Service, the National Human Rights Commission, Legal Aids Council of Nigeria and the Nigerian Correctional Service have constituted a tripartite Committee, The Joint Committee on Collaborative Initiatives and Dialogue Platform, charged with facilitating seamless access to Justice system for inmates, among other terms of reference.

Speaking while inaugurating the Committee at the Corporate headquarters of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu SAN, explained that the need to ensure easy access to the Correctional Service centres to enhance easy access to justice system for the growing number of inmates motivated the collaboration between the three institutions of government.

Group photograph of members of the Committee with the Co-chairmen

He stressed on Friday that all inmates are entitled to adequate legal representation without any hindrance by virtue of delayed Justice system, poverty or indigent.

He lamented that apart from the growing number of inmates, most of them have spent years awaiting trials even beyond what they would have spent if they had been convicted promptly.

According to Dr. Ojukwu: “But the three of us have made up our minds: the Legal Aids Council of Nigeria, the National Human Rights Commission and the Nigerian Correctional Service, to work together to make sure that access to justice, as much as possible, is being given to our clients, the people we serve. And that marks the essence of our meeting today.

“It is in essence access to justice,  the committee between the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, National Human Rights Commission and the Nigerian Correctional Services, have decided to institutionalize a committee that will be meeting from time to time to look at how our work can be seamless so that government can get the credit for these three institutions, working together to improve access to justice in Nigeria.”
He further noted that ordinarily, the Correctional Service Centre ought to be where we can be going every day for our work, but one cannot go to someone’s house without his/her permission.
“All the inmates there are all entitled to a legal representation.
And the Legal Aids Council as their defense. They must go to court everyday as their defense. It is very important that there is smooth collaboration with the Legal Aids Council as defense and the Nigerian Correctional Service Centers. Again, for the National Human Rights Commission, we monitor and publish the victims at the NCS. By the very nature of the NCS, there are those who had been convicted and those who are awaiting trials or undergoing trails in courts.

“Nigeria being a unique place, even the number of awaiting trials inmates  have increased. But because of the challenges in the dispensation of criminal Justice. This is a place where the constitution says if there is reason to arrest anybody, the person should be in court within 48 hours. But does that happen?  But the reality is that people are arrested before investigation are done and for that reason, the constitutional provision of being taken to court within 48 hours are not fulfilled.

“It is when you’re now in detention that investigations will continue. The arrest is the starting point instead. And in this case, what can the Correctional services do rather than to keep the victims under their custody”, he lamented.

Also speaking, Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) Mr. Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, applauded the inauguration of the committee as being timely.

According to him, “This represents more than just an institutional engagement. It is a dawn of new era of partnership, dialogue and shared commitments through the advancement of human rights within the Nigerian Correctional Services system.

The Comptroller General who was represented by the Assistant Comptroller General, ACG L.C. Cyprus further said: “Permit me to express profound appreciation to the Executive Secretary and the National Human Rights Commission for this laudable and timely initiative. By establishing this collaborative platform, the Commission has once again demonstrated unwavering commitment to fostering inclusive dialogue, friendly institutional coordination and promoting accountability in protection of human rights.

“The Nigerian Correctional Services sees this initiative as a unique opportunity at achieving the noble objectives of the Nigerian Correctional Service.”

On his part, the Director General of the Legal Aids Council of Nigeria (LACoN), Mr. Aliyu B. Abubakar, assured that the Council is ever ready to provide legal services to those who cannot on their  own be able to secure legal services for themselves.

He noted that these are people who are poor, indigent and people who cannot be able to afford the cost when it comes to justice matters.

He observed that majority of the inmates of the Nigerian Correctional Service are those who had not been convicted, adding that the committee is being constituted to cater for the millions of Nigerians who cannot be able to sort out themselves when it comes to justice matters.

He lamented that some of the awaiting trial inmates spend up to 10 years awaiting trials and that some of them spend more years awaiting trails more than they would have spent if they had been convicted.

He expressed optimism that the just inaugurated committee would facilitate access to justice to those who had been incarcerated in the Correctional service and ensure that nobody should be made to be at the Correctional Service longer than he or she supposed to stay.

The members of the Committee include representatives from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON).
The representatives from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOS) are: Mr. Julius O. Osemwegie, Controller of Corrections (CC);  Mrs. Okibe Agbenu, Chief Superintendent of Corrections (CSC) and Mr. Lawrence Bassey Esq., Superintendent of Corrections (SC).

Those from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) include: Barr. Dauda Hassan, Director, Civil Justice Department; Mr. Oliver N. Chukwuma, HOD, Correctional Centre Decongestion Unit and Chiroma Ibrahim Ahmed, SA to DG, Chief Legal Aid.

From the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) are Benedict Agu, Special Assistant/Head, Monitoring Department; Halilu Adamu Esq., Director, Civil and Political Rights Department and Kabiru Elayo, Head, National Preventive Mechanism