The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) recently paid a courtesy visit to the controller of Nigeria Correctional Service in the Federal Capital Territory Command, Ibrahim Idris, to request for access to the warrant and relevant records at both the Kuje and Suleja correctional centers.
During the visit, Abdul Fattah Adewale Bakre, the Director in charge of Criminal Justice department, who led the team of lawyers, emphasized the critical importance of the warrant for the correctional center. Bakre assured that the council would handle the records with utmost care.
Bakre further stressed that having access to the warrant is crucial for identifying inmates falling within the council’s jurisdiction, thus enabling them to request their presence for interviews and proper documentation as stipulated in section 19 of the legal aid act 2011 and legal aid regulation 2012.
“Reports from our field lawyers indicate that in some instances, the council faces challenges in accessing warrants and records from the welfare. This has significantly hampered our operations. Any negative remarks concerning the issue of awaiting trial inmates reflect poorly on the council. LAC intervened in the case of 101 Boko Haram suspects due to our access to warrants. It is equally vital for determining which inmates have legal representation and require Legal Aid services,” Bakre emphasized.
In response to the council’s request, the controller, Ibrahim Idris, promptly assigned a lawyer from his office to accompany the legal aid group to Kuje prison and ensure compliance with the instructions.
Additionally, the controller wrote a letter to the Deputy controllers of both Kuje and Suleja correctional centers, instructing them to provide the necessary warrant to the council.
Idris appealed for collective efforts, underscoring that out of the 1,298 inmates in custody, the majority are awaiting trial inmates.
He acknowledged LACON’s efforts but emphasized that the issue is still a work in progress, “so when all the relevant stakeholders do the needful, more results will be evident.”
The recent visit to Kuje correctional center was aimed at interviewing inmates for representation in various courts within the Federal Capital Territory. This initiative derived from the earlier courtesy visit of the council to the FCT command controller, Ibrahim Idris, who promptly facilitated the visit.
During the visit, the council interviewed a total of 27 inmates charged with offenses including theft, criminal breach of trust, fraud, criminal conspiracy, and rape, among others.
These inmates, upon consenting and signing LACON forms, have been assigned a lawyer to represent them in court.
