The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s correctional centres and courts, citing systemic decay and widespread human rights violations in the justice sector.
Speaking at the Access to Justice Parley 2025 in Abuja on Thursday, PPDC Chief Executive Officer Lucy Abagi said the crisis has reached critical levels, with over 70,000 Nigerians languishing in correctional facilities the majority awaiting trial.
“This is a grave assault on the constitutional rights of citizens,” Abagi declared, warning that many detainees may never appear before a judge or access legal representation.“
"We are at a point where the president must declare a state of emergency in our correctional centres and courts,” she insisted.
Abagi highlighted infrastructural collapse, slow judicial processes, and outdated practices as core drivers of the dysfunction. She described it as “embarrassing” that more than 90 percent of Nigerian judges still record proceedings by hand in an era of digital innovation.
“From infrastructural deficits to the lack of digital systems in this age where countries are competing on innovations, AI and creativity, more than 90 percent of our courts and judges still write long lines using pen and paper, and cases drag for years because judgements cannot be delivered on time,” she said.
She further condemned the deplorable conditions in correctional centres, stating they neither reform inmates nor preserve human dignity.
Through its interventions, PPDC has deployed digital monitoring systems in 16 correctional centres across six states including the FCT, Adamawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Ebonyi, and Oyo using solar-powered computers and internet connectivity to track inmate welfare and court appearances.
Abagi revealed that via its Police Duty Solicitor Scheme, in partnership with university law clinics and pro bono lawyers, PPDC has prevented thousands of unlawful detentions.
Under the Reforming Pretrial Detention in Nigeria Project (Phase II), the organisation has provided free legal representation to over 20,009 detainees, securing the release of 8,552 individuals held without trial.
Despite these efforts, Abagi stressed that PPDC has reached “less than one percent of the courts in Nigeria,” showing the limited scale of impact.
She urged the federal government to institutionalise digital justice systems in national budgets instead of relying on donor-funded projects, warning that continued neglect will worsen the crisis.
Speaking on the conference theme, “Justice, security, and governance—A unified agenda for Nigeria’s sustainable development,” Dakas Dakas, CEO of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission, said sustainable development cannot occur without a justice system that upholds human rights and ensures equal access.
Dakas advocated stronger collaboration between government, civil society, and the private sector to strengthen the rule of law and deliver tangible reforms.
He commended PPDC’s digital innovations as a model for African nations modernising justice through data-driven and citizen-centred approaches, while noting ongoing reviews of laws to meet global human rights standards and digital realities.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com