The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, has released 30 awaiting trial inmates across two custodial centres in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, in a move aimed at decongesting prisons and restoring justice.
The intervention was part of an official visit to the Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre on Thursday. It was facilitated by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), a non-governmental organisation committed to human rights and justice reform.
Out of the 30 inmates discharged, 24 were from the Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre, while six women were released from the Keffi Old Medium Security Custodial Centre.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, Justice Baba-Yusuf said the exercise aimed to ensure that no person remains incarcerated unjustly.
“We have decided to give hope to the hopeless,” he stated. “There are a lot of people who shouldn’t be here in the first place. This visit is to ensure that people who have no business being here are not kept behind doors, not even for one day.”
He emphasized that similar visits are planned for other facilities, including Kuje and Suleja custodial centres, and identified systemic issues contributing to unlawful detentions — including lapses from magistrates, police inefficiency, and lack of logistical support in correctional centres.
The CEO of the PPDC, Lucy Abagi, applauded the Chief Judge’s commitment and highlighted disturbing cases, including detainees unable to afford as little as ₦20,000 in bail, and women jailed for rejecting abuse.
“Women have been here because they said no to abuse, and complainants used the law to punish them. Our goal is to make sure such people are free,” she said, urging other Chief Judges to replicate the initiative nationwide.
Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Abuja, also condemned the wrongful incarceration of women, calling for greater legal awareness among women to prevent similar abuses.
The Controller of the Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre, Yau Ibrahim, thanked the Chief Judge and reiterated the correctional service’s desire to reduce congestion and uphold justice.
