Nigeria: Over 300 inmates languish in Kano prison without documentation, trial

The Solicitors Scheme Advisory Committee instituted by the Inspector General of Police in Nigeria, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, says it has met over 300 awaiting trial inmates languishing in Kurmawa Custodial Center, Kano, without proper documentation of their cases.

The committee made the disclosure on Wednesday.

It has been paying unscheduled visits to custodial centres, police formations and juvenile homes.

The body is headed by Kano State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad-Hussaini Gumel.

Its mandate is to investigate cases of human rights violations of people with criminal and civil cases.

Addressing journalists after the visit, Mr Gumel said their task was to identify such cases, document them and forward them to relevant authorities for appropriate action.

Presenting some sets of inmates who have been awaiting trial for years at Kurmawa Custodial Center, an officer in the prison yard, revealed that most of them have no case diary or even any criminal record before their incarceration.

He added that some have no specific courts they would be charged to and no records of their cases, yet have been in custody for many years.

Others, he said, were left in prison because they could not afford legal representation.

An inmate, Ibrahim Dala, said he was accused of culpable homicide but has not been taken to court since his incarceration in 2009.

Yahya Usman, another inmate, said the last time he was taken to court was in 2017, adding that right now he doesn’t know his fate.

Mr Gumel, however, assured that the affected inmates would get justice soon.

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