KEY POINTS
- The Port Harcourt facility holds over 20,000 awaiting trial.
- Some inmates have been awaiting trial for 16 years.
- A new task force aims to ease prison congestion.
Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Dagogo Iboroma said more than 20,000 inmates are awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
Over 20,000 inmates await trial, some for over 16 years
However, he said efforts are underway to decongest the correctional facility with the creation of a task force.
According to a report by Punch, Iboroma made the remarks during a special court session held to mark the opening of the 2024-2025 legal year at the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The justice commissioner expressed frustration that some inmates have spent as long as 16 years in the correctional center without their cases being heard in court.
“Another sore area is prison congestion. It is a major challenge,” Iboroma said. “There are more than 20,000 awaiting trial inmates without any record or history of prosecution. Their alleged crimes include murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, and cultism. Some of these inmates have been awaiting trial for more than 16 years and have not appeared in court even once.”
Commissioner vows to prevent compromise in legal advice vetting
He added that a task force had been set up in the office of the director of public prosecutions to address the issue. “Rendering of legal advice in criminal cases referred to the DPP is another sore point. Compromises are often made by unscrupulous individuals,” he said.
Iboroma also noted that in the past year, he had personally ensured the vetting of all legal advice to prevent compromises.
He addressed 65 fiat applications in favor of legal practitioners, signed 337 consent files, resolved 41 cases through mediation, provided 15 pro bono representations, and helped the state government collect over N124 million in taxes.
Former Nigerian Bar Association President Onueze Okocha, SAN, who spoke on behalf of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, expressed hope that the courts in Rivers State would continue to perform their duties effectively to avoid unnecessary delays in the dispensation of justice.
