By Khadija Umar Tambuwal
According to the world prison brief 2025, Overcrowding in Nigeria’s correctional centers has become a pressing issue threatening the justice system and the welfare of inmates. The current situation shows that as of January 2025, Nigeria had a total inmate population of about eighty-one thousand four hundred and six, while the maximum capacity of all correctional centres is fifty thousand one hundred and fifty-three. This shows an overcrowding rate of over 136.7% alarming around 66% of these inmates are waiting trial, meaning they have not yet been found guilty of any crime.
This alarming statistics underscores systematic issues within the criminal justice system, including delays in investigations, insufficient legal representation, and bureaucratic delays. Many detainees find themselves detained for extended periods without formal charges or trial dates, often due to lost case files or the inability of authorities to transport them to court. The human rights implications are profound. Amnesty International reports that “Numerous individuals have been detained for years without trial, some subjected to torture and other ill-treatment during their incarceration.
Efforts to address this issue have been initiated. The Federal Ministry of interior in collaboration with Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action(PRAWA) has called for reforms in pre-trial detention procedures, emphasizing the need for clear guidelines to ensure detention is used only when absolutely necessary.
Factors that triggers justice in crime system:
The causes are numerous: delays in investigation, lack of diligent prosecution, adjournment culture in courts, and insufficient judicial personnel. Many cases are stalled due to incomplete case files or the non-availability of witnesses and prosecutors. In some situations, detainees are forgotten entirely, particularly those without legal representation. (World prison brief, 2024).
Legal experts also argue that Nigeria’s slow and cumbersome justice system is structurally biased against the poor, indigent suspects who cannot afford bail or lawyers are disproportionately affected, even for bail able offences.
Baba Jibo Ibrahim, the spokesperson of the courts in Kano state judiciary said there are measures being taken to reduce overcrowding in correctional centers. “The state has a conciliation court, which is one of the institutions helping to reduce the backlog of cases. Likewise, everyone knows Kano is well known for commerce, and because of that there is a special court called the Small Claims Court, which handles minor commercial disputes. This also helps reduce the overcrowding in correctional centers,” He lamented.
Effect of prison congestion from health perspective:
Also, these congested environments bring rapid transmission of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis. Shared facilities, limited access to medical care and the inability to isolate infected individuals exacerbate the situation leading to outbreaks that are challenging to control.
Dr. Jamilu Shu’aibu Mariri a community health expert at Dan Maliki hospital in Kumbotso local government area said, There are several diseases that can spread due to overcrowding in correctional centers “These disease can be transmitted from person to person either through direct contact or airborne means. For example, tuberculosis can be spread through breathing in contaminated air, while skin diseases such as allergic reactions or rashes can be passed through physical contact. These are known as communicable diseases” He said.
Dr. Mariri also highlighted the harmful effects of overcrowding on both physical and mental health saying ‘In terms of mental health, living in the same environment for a long time with little to no physical activity can affect an individual’s health’. He lamented.
“For instance a person who has a medical condition that requires regular physical movement might face serious health issues if confined for too long, and this can also affect behavior or lead to mental disorders”. He said.
According to him, to prevent such health risks in correctional centers, it is necessary to “Reduce the number of inmates in each cell, decongest food collection and sleeping areas, improve the cleanliness of toilets, the general environment, personal hygiene, and the safety of the food served.
Comrade Bello Basi Fagge a commentator on public affairs said “I Believe the main factor that can help eliminate crime completely is for leaders to be Just. Where there is justice, there will be proper judgment and fairness, which will discourage people from committing crimes”. Basi Fagge added that “when a crime is committed, the final decision of a judge should not always be sending the offenders to prison”.
Controller of Corrections (CSC) Musbahu Lawan Kofar Nassarawa, the spokesperson of the Kano state correctional center stated that overcrowding is a major issue affecting not just Kano state but the entire country. He added that one of the most effective solutions to reduce overcrowding is for the authorities to ensure the granting of bail. “This is important because bail plays a significant role in decongesting correctional facilities. In many cases, inmates stay in prison for years without knowing their legal status, but if they are granted bail early, it can ease the burden on correctional centers”, he said.
Although efforts to hear from the prisoners have been made but was not possible, further attempt will be made to gain firsthand insight into their experiences.
