The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) and the Papal Knights and Medalists of Nigeria to tackle prison congestion, facilitate the release of indigent detainees and strengthen the protection of inmates’ rights across Nigeria’s correctional facilities.
The collaboration, formalised during a courtesy visit by a delegation led by the National President of the Papal Knights and Supreme Knight of the Knights of St. Mulumba, Steve Adehi, will focus on reducing the growing number of Awaiting Trial Persons (ATPs) held for minor offences or because they cannot afford bail.
The initiative comes amid persistent concerns over prison congestion in Nigeria, where correctional facilities continue to house thousands of inmates awaiting trial, many of whom have spent years in detention without conviction due to delays in the justice system, inability to meet bail conditions or prolonged court proceedings.
Speaking during the meeting at the Commission’s headquarters, Adehi lamented that many Nigerians remain in detention despite facing minor, bailable offences.
He said several inmates are languishing in correctional centres simply because they lack the financial means to perfect bail granted by the courts.
Responding, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, reaffirmed the Commission’s constitutional mandate to protect the rights of vulnerable and marginalised persons.
Ojukwu described the continued detention of individuals over trivial offences and insignificant amounts as a serious indictment of the country’s justice system.
He cited documented cases of persons detained over debts or disputes involving as little as ₦5,000, describing such situations as a grave assault on human dignity and the principles of justice.
“Every intervention which secures liberty and restores dignity constitutes a meaningful contribution to society,” he said.
Under the partnership, the NHRC and its faith-based partners agreed to undertake joint interventions aimed at securing the review and release of inmates detained for minor offences who remain behind bars solely because they cannot meet bail conditions.
Beyond facilitating their release, the partners also resolved to establish support structures to ease reintegration into society.
The proposed measures include the establishment of halfway homes, vocational training programmes, counselling services and the provision of basic welfare packages to help former inmates rebuild their lives and reduce the likelihood of reoffending.
Recognising that lasting reform requires changes within correctional institutions, the partnership will also organise specialised human rights training for correctional officers.
The programmes are expected to strengthen compliance with Nigeria’s legal framework, including the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and international standards such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
The Head of the NHRC’s National Preventive Mechanism, Kabiru Elayo, stressed that rehabilitation should not end at prison gates.
He warned that without structured reintegration programmes, many former inmates struggle to rebuild their lives and eventually return to custody.
To institutionalise the partnership, the Commission will draft a Memorandum of Understanding with the Knights of St. Mulumba and the Papal Knights and Medalists of Nigeria.
The initiative will subsequently be extended to the NHRC’s offices across the country’s 36 states to ensure nationwide implementation.
The collaboration reflects growing recognition that addressing Nigeria’s prison congestion crisis requires coordinated action involving government institutions, civil society and faith-based organisations.
Human rights advocates have repeatedly expressed concern over overcrowded correctional facilities, where a significant proportion of inmates are awaiting trial rather than serving sentences, arguing that prolonged pre-trial detention undermines the constitutional presumption of innocence and places additional strain on an already overstretched correctional system.
The NHRC said the new partnership represents a significant step towards addressing structural deficiencies in Nigeria’s criminal justice system while promoting the rule of law, human dignity and equitable access to justice for all citizens, regardless of their economic circumstances.
Michael Olugbode
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