By Amos Tauna, Kaduna
A civic group, Eagle Brain Youth Transformative and Development Initiative (EBYTDI), has alleged that a shocking injustice persists in Kaduna State with hundreds of detainees including one Emmanuel Musa, remain imprisoned for years without trial, because Kaduna Correctional Centres lack the basic logistics to transport them to court.
A statement issued by its Executive Director, Mr. Daniel Ejembi, stated that Emmanuel Musa, a resident of Ungwan Gajere, Maraban Rido, in Kaduna state, was arrested in 2018 after he prevented a suspected bandit from being lynched in his home, insisting the suspect be handed over to security agencies.
He explained, “Instead of being commended for upholding the rule of law, he was detained and for six years, the Kaduna Correctional Service has failed in their responsibility.
“His case is not isolated. Many detainees in Kaduna prisons have never seen a courtroom, not because their cases are delayed, but because the correctional centres lack vehicles, fuel, and security personnel to transport inmates to court.”
Many detainees in Kaduna prisons have never seen a courtroom, not because their cases are delayed, but because the correctional centres lack vehicles, fuel, and security personnel to transport inmates to court
Ejembi lamented the human cost of institutional failure, stressing that innocent lives destroyed such as Emmanuel, who has spent six years in prison without conviction, and thereby suffering severe psychological trauma.
He further explained that the family has been broken, his dependents, who relied on him for survival, now struggle in poverty, saying, “justice system mocked when detainees cannot even appear in court, the legal process collapses into a cruel farce.”
The Kaduna State Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Correctional Service, and Judiciary, according to him, must answer why are there no functional vehicles to transport detainees, why has the government failed to allocate funds for inmate logistics and who will be held accountable for these unconstitutional delays?
The group demanded for immediate intervention from Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, Controller of Corrections, Kaduna State Command, Chief Judge of Kaduna State and the Nigerian Human Rights Commission to be able to fix the broken system.
justice system mocked when detainees cannot even appear in court, the legal process collapses into a cruel farce
He stressed the need to provide operational vehicles and security for inmate transportation, prioritize cases of those detained without trial and hold officials accountable for negligence.
