17th January, 2023
The ELA Initiative, a Human Rights Organisation visited the Kirikiri Medium Custodial Center on Saturday, the 14th of January, 2023 to interview and take up the cases of Awaiting Trial Inmates who cannot afford to pay for Legal Representation.
The Organisation has in recent times provided free legal representation to a large number of inmates and has successfully secured their unconditional release from Prisons across Lagos State.
Speaking shortly after the visit, Kenechukwu Osuji, the Executive Director of the Organisation stated that there is an alarming rise in the number of awaiting trial inmates which currently stands at seventy percent of the total number of inmates in Prisons across the Federation.
He also stated that a large number of these inmates cannot afford to pay for legal representation which results in long periods of incarceration without trial.
The ELA Initiative was founded in 2019 to promote human rights through Education, Legal Aid & Advocacy.
Since their inception, they have organised several Community Outreaches in various parts of Lagos State in a bid to enlighten Nigerians on their fundamental human rights, their Legal Aid team also provides free legal advisory services to Nigerians across a wide spectrum of Human Right issues.