The Tunji Braithwaite Foundation has called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system, lamenting that thousands of Nigerians presumed innocent remain in correctional facilities for years without trial.
The foundation said the continued detention of awaiting-trial inmates amounted to a grave violation of their constitutional rights and urged the judiciary, lawmakers and other stakeholders to take immediate steps to address the crisis.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Olaoluwa Braithwaite, made the call in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Tuesday after the foundation’s “March of Silence” held in Lagos to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the late legal icon and politician, Dr Tunji Braithwaite.
The march, which coincided with the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, began with an outreach to the Ikoyi Custodial Centre before participants proceeded silently to Tunji Braithwaite Park, where they demanded reforms in the justice system.
Braithwaite described the prolonged detention of thousands of inmates awaiting trial as one of the country’s most pressing human rights concerns, noting that many had spent between five and 10 years in custody without their cases being concluded.
