Fellow Frontnaija News.com reports that findings by The PUNCH have uncovered a troubling trend in Nigeria’s justice system — the number of Nigerians locked up without trial has continued to rise sharply in 2025.
According to inmate records obtained from the Nigerian Correctional Service, the population of individuals held without trial has been steadily increasing for the past eight months.
In January 2025, there were 48,932 awaiting trial inmates. By August, the figure had swelled even higher, exposing deep cracks in the country’s judicial process. Experts blame the surge on prolonged adjournments, inadequate judges, slow investigation processes by security agencies, and the lack of prison reforms.
The development has raised serious concerns, as most Nigerian correctional centres are already overcrowded and underfunded, worsening the living conditions of inmates and stretching facilities far beyond their capacity.
Human rights groups have condemned the situation, describing it as a gross violation of fundamental rights, while calling on the Federal Government and the judiciary to implement urgent reforms. Suggested measures include:
Speedy trial systems,
Adoption of non-custodial sentencing, and
Digital tracking of pending cases.
Many Nigerians fear that if nothing is done, the number of citizens trapped in prisons without trial could reach a historic high by the end of 2025.
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