By Ibironke Ariyo
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have come under intense scrutiny as a probe panel investigates their alleged role in the worsening congestion of custodial facilities across the country.
The panel, tasked with uncovering corruption and violations within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), has received damning revelations linking the police and NDLEA to the crisis.
Speaking at the ongoing second public hearing, the panel’s Secretary, Dr. Uju Agomoh, revealed that the police stand accused of detaining individuals beyond the constitutional limit without trial, arresting suspects without sufficient evidence, and holding detainees without proper investigation.
“Section 43 of the NCoS Act, which allows for restorative justice at the pre-trial stage, was highlighted. If the police cooperate with the NCoS, we can incorporate this into our recommendations,” Agomoh stated.
The NDLEA also faces scrutiny over its handling of detainees. The panel demanded a comprehensive list of all detention centres and details of individuals held in custody.
“We have also requested the police to provide data on the designated capacities of their facilities, the total number of lockups, and a breakdown of detainees by gender, age, and charges,” Agomoh added.
In response, police representative Joshua Pandegh disclosed that steps were being taken to ensure every police station had legal counsel to oversee prosecutions.
For the NDLEA, Deputy Director of Prosecution and Legal Service, Obiageli Iwuchukwu, announced plans to introduce plea bargaining as a strategy to decongest correctional facilities.
Earlier, the panel’s Chair, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, demanded clarification on the management of prisoner transfers and called for reports on allegations of fake certificates within the correctional service, which had emerged as a major concern.
The panel has insisted on full transparency, calling for detailed records of detention centres nationwide and pressing for urgent reforms to ease the suffocating burden on Nigeria’s prison system. (NAN)
