The Economic Community of West African States Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Republic of Nigeria to urgently decongest its correctional centres and put an end to the prolonged detention of awaiting-trial inmates across the country.
In a landmark ruling, the regional court directed Nigerian authorities to take immediate steps to address worsening prison congestion, describing the continued detention of thousands of inmates without timely trial as a violation of fundamental human rights.
The court further ordered the government to submit a comprehensive compliance report within six months, detailing measures taken to implement the directive. The report is expected to include updated statistics on the number of inmates released, prosecuted, or otherwise processed through the justice system.
The judgement places renewed pressure on Nigerian authorities to reform the country’s criminal justice system, long criticised by rights groups over overcrowded prisons, delayed trials, and poor detention conditions.
The ruling is seen as one of the strongest regional judicial interventions yet on prison conditions and the rights of detainees in Nigeria.
