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Gombe’s 180-day justice deadline sparks debate over endless pre-trial detentions

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Newly posted Controller of Correctional Service in Gombe State, Agada Felix-Audu, recently declared that no suspect should spend more than 180 days awaiting trial before conviction or acquittal, thereby reigniting scrutiny of Nigeria’s justice system, where over 53,000 of 81,000 inmates are still awaiting trial—some for years over petty offences, writes CHIMA AZUBUIKE

When Agada Felix-Audu, the newly posted Controller of the Correctional Service in Gombe State, declared that no suspect should spend more than 180 days awaiting trial before being either convicted or acquitted, his words reverberated beyond the conference hall. They touched the very heart of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

For decades, Nigeria’s custodial centres have been filled not only with hardened convicts but with men and women who have not yet been found guilty of crime. Some individuals are languishing behind bars over allegations of theft of a mobile phone or issues over repayment of a N20,000 loan. Sometimes, this is because their cases were not heard promptly or because they could not “do the needful”, often demanded to expedite their files.

Felix-Audu’s pronouncement at his familiarisation visit to the Secretary to the Government of Gombe State, Prof Ibrahim Abubakar-Njodi, was both bold and simple: “Within 180 days, a suspect awaiting trial must either be convicted or acquitted, no matter the crime committed.” But is this feasible in a justice system typically plagued by delays, underfunding, corruption, and human rights violations?

Across Nigeria, the statistics paint a grim picture. According to the Nigerian Correctional Service 2024 annual report, out of approximately 77,000 inmates nationwide, more than 52,000 are awaiting trial, that is, nearly 70 per cent of the total prison population. Some inmates have been in pre-trial detention for more than five years, despite being accused of offences carrying maximum sentences of two years or less. By August 2025, the number rose to 53,460 awaiting trial, with 81,000 inmates nationwide.

In Gombe State, the situation mirrors the national crisis. The state’s five custodial centres—Gombe, Nafada, Bajoga, Cham, and Billiri—are home to thousands of inmates, the vast majority of whom are awaiting trial. Cases drag on for reasons ranging from incomplete police investigations to prosecutors deliberately inflating charges for personal gain. Courtrooms are few and under-resourced, while magistrates juggle overwhelming caseloads.

Against this background, the call for a 180-day limit feels both urgent and aspirational. For those languishing in cells, it could mean the difference between life and death, between hope and despair.

At the Gombe custodial centre,  Aisha, a female inmate who was remanded pending trial, narrated her ordeal with quiet resignation. “For the time I spent there, I didn’t eat rice with stew, whether with groundnut oil or palm oil. The food lacked salt. The rice comes in small quantities—it won’t satisfy even a child.”

Her account is echoed by others across the state. Elijah, a former inmate from Plateau State who served in Gombe custodial centre, recounted how he entrusted N8,000 to prison records upon arrival.

“When he fell sick, part of the money was spent on medicine. Upon release, only N3,000 was returned. Worse still, the police officers who came to take him to court proceedings collected another N2,000,” Elijah said.

Past inmates report disturbing conditions of incarceration, including bug-ridden mattresses and poor quality of meals. They also claim that mats are hoarded by prison officials, leaving some inmates to sleep on bare floors. “Kunu, a watery millet drink, is often the only breakfast available, unless inmates can afford to buy food. Lunch might be a cup of garri, without sugar or water. Dinner is a small cup of rice shared among three people on a rubber plate.

“If you have money, you will buy water. If you don’t, you eat like that,” Peter, another inmate, explained.

A family member of one of the inmates,  who identified himself as Sambo Danti, said payment at an opposite point that serves as a clearing stand is most disappointing, describing it as a conduit of corruption.

Danti said, “This reality is compounded by extortion at every level. Inmates and their families are forced to pay for services that should be free, from faster case processing to better food portions.

“You are made to pay N200 for the form before going in to see your family member. I wonder what the N200 form is for. I wonder what it will solve. But without it, you can’t gain access. Upon entry, you are made to drop all your phones for fear of incriminating evidence, but they forget that we now have other recording devices like a pen, glasses, but of course, that wasn’t my intention.

“I have seen family members who were asked to go home because they couldn’t afford an entry pass. I doubt if the money they make is remitted as revenue.”

Assistant Chief Admin Officer at the National Human Rights Commission in Gombe, Ndam Nanfa, offered a scathing assessment of corruption within custodial facilities.

Nanfa said, “How will you explain a situation where, in prison, if an inmate has N1,000 in custody, officials only release N500 and keep the rest? Imagine how much more they take when the money is bigger.”

“The rot is not confined to correctional officials,” she added.

Nanfa alleged that prosecutors also exploit families. “If a magistrate fines a suspect N5,000, prosecutors can demand N30,000 from the family, plus another N30,000 for logistics. Failure to pay lands the suspect in prison.”

“Such practices not only prolong incarceration but also reinforce the perception that justice in Nigeria is for sale. For the poor, the inability to pay means endless waiting; for the rich, it is merely another cost of doing business,” Nanfa said.

While this debate rages, what happens to inmates in Gombe, Nafada, Bajoga, Cham, and Billiri custodial centres who continue to languish in squalid conditions, surviving on meals of plain rice without stew, bug-ridden beds, and the constant shadow of extortion?

The Controller’s 180-day proposal is not an entirely new idea. The Nigerian Constitution under Section 35(4) already requires that any person arrested or detained on suspicion of committing an offence must be arraigned in court within a reasonable time, defined as one day in cases where a court is within a forty-kilometre radius, or two days otherwise.

Furthermore, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and its state-level adaptations sought to eliminate unnecessary delays by introducing stricter timelines for trials, case management powers for judges, and provisions for non-custodial sentencing.

However, implementation remains the Achilles’ heel. Police still complain of a lack of resources, prosecutors are stretched thin, courts are congested, and the political will to enforce discipline in the system is often weak. What Felix-Audu did was to translate these lofty legal aspirations into a concrete, time-bound call: 180 days, no more.

Felix-Audu’s further suggestion of a centralised Database Management System, hosted by the Ministry of Justice, to synchronise police investigations, prosecutorial actions, and correctional records, holds promise.

He adds that by digitising case flows, accountability could improve, and inmates would no longer disappear into the cracks of paper-based bureaucracy.

“We are working to create a more responsive and efficient system. A biometric database of offenders has already been established to improve information sharing with other security agencies and to help decongest custodial centres nationwide,” Felix-Audu noted.

He emphasised that ensuring security should not always mean incarceration, but include psychological interventions such as counselling.

“Security goes beyond confinement. Rehabilitation, especially for those with minor offences, is essential to breaking the cycle of crime,” he added.

Yet, for many observers, the question is not whether the idea is desirable, but whether it is sustainable.

Models exist that Gombe could learn from. In South Africa, the Criminal Procedure Act sets clear bail and remand timelines, with strict oversight by judicial officers.

In Kenya, judicial reforms in the early 2010s introduced case-tracking systems and regular audit reviews of remand cases, leading to significant reductions in pre-trial detention.

In Ghana, the introduction of non-custodial sentencing, such as community service, has eased congestion in prisons and allowed courts to focus on more serious cases. This points to the fact that reform is possible when backed by political will, adequate funding, and institutional accountability.

Speaking recently, the Gombe State Deputy Governor, Manassah Jatau, decried the congestion and housing together of violent and non-violent offenders in custodial centres across the country.

He warned that violent inmates could negatively influence non-violent ones, thereby exposing them to deeper criminal tendencies, aggression, ill health, and even mental disorders.

“The situation where hardened criminals are kept together with minor offenders is a dangerous trend. It only worsens the problem rather than solving it,” Jatau stated.

The deputy governor acknowledged the enormity of challenges facing the security and justice system in the country, stressing the need for justice to be delivered promptly and without bias.

He also urged some solicitors to desist from compounding the justice system by shielding criminals for selfish interests.

Jatau further identified youthful exuberance as a common issue among inmates, stressing the need for counselling and rehabilitation rather than outright incarceration.

“Most of these young people need guidance, not just punishment. We must prioritise reformation over retribution,” he added.

Jatau pledged the state government’s support to the service in this regard and advised the Comptroller to work in synergy with sister security agencies, especially the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and other stakeholders for an effective fight against crime.

Some analysts argue that the feasibility of a 180-day trial completion is undermined by multiple structural challenges. They mention that police investigations remain underfunded and slow, often reliant on confessions extracted under duress rather than forensic evidence.

Other issues raised are that prosecutors are overstretched, handling more cases than they can realistically manage, and deliberately delaying cases to extract bribes. They also note that the judiciary suffers from a shortage of judges and magistrates, leading to clogged dockets and endless adjournments.

A legal practitioner, Abdullahi Bello, also posited that inmates should be consistently deployed to farms to enhance the country’s desire to achieve food security.

Bello said, “Instead of allocating millions into food that is not adequately supplied, they should be made to farm crops that they will not only eat but help to achieve the country’s food sufficiency.”

Observers note that, even where the law provides for speedy trials, weak enforcement and lack of accountability mean that timelines are rarely respected.

Without addressing these systemic flaws, they note that the 180-day deadline risks becoming another unfulfilled aspiration.

For Gombe to make the 180-day proposal sustainable, they canvass for a multipronged approach, including the expansion of judicial capacity through the appointment of more judges and magistrates.

They asked for a reform in police investigations, shifting from confession-based methods to evidence-driven approaches. Also identified is that prosecutors require oversight mechanisms to curb extortion, while correctional officers must be held accountable for the welfare of inmates.

Felix- Audu further demanded the absorption of the Correctional Service into the State Security Council to give the agency a voice in crime prevention and intelligence-sharing, and ensure that it is not merely the endpoint of the justice system but an active participant in security governance.

He adds, “Technology can play a transformative role. A digital case management system linking police, prosecutors, courts, and correctional centres could improve transparency, prevent files from disappearing, and provide real-time tracking of case progress. Equally important is the expansion of legal aid services to ensure that poor defendants are not abandoned in the system without representation.”

“Alternative sentencing should be embraced. Minor offences, such as petty theft, should attract community service or fines, not prolonged detention. This would reduce congestion in custodial centres and allow resources to be focused on serious offenders.”

The call to convict or acquit within 180 days is more than a bureaucratic target. For thousands of inmates in Gombe and across Nigeria, it represents hope, the possibility that their lives will not be wasted in the limbo of pre-trial detention.

Without structural reforms addressing corruption, underfunding, and inefficiency, the argument of stakeholders is that the proposal risks becoming another well-meaning but unimplemented policy. For the woman who never ate stew in detention, for the man who lost his savings to corruption, and for countless others surviving on kunu and bug-ridden mats, justice delayed is justice denied.

The practicability and sustainability of the 180-day proposal will depend not on pronouncements but on action by police, prosecutors, judges, correctional officers, and the state government. Only then can Gombe State transform its custodial centres from warehouses of despair into true centres of rehabilitation and justice.

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Police present ₦33.8m to families of fallen officers in Kebbi

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The Kebbi State Police Command has disbursed cheques totalling ₦33,816,610.97 to 50 families of police officers who died in active service.

The presentation, held on Thursday at the Command’s Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, was made by the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Sani, as part of the Group Life Assurance and IGP Family Welfare Schemes initiated to support families of fallen heroes.

PUNCH Online reports that the Group Life Assurance and IGP Family Welfare Schemes are part of the ongoing initiatives under Egbetokun to enhance welfare and provide financial relief to families of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Speaking during the ceremony, Sani commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for his steadfast commitment to the welfare of police personnel and their families.

He described the gesture as a reflection of the IGP’s compassion and dedication to the well-being of officers, saying it had brought “immense joy and relief” to many bereaved families.

“The Inspector-General’s magnanimity continues to boost morale, enhance performance, and uplift the spirit of our officers across the country,” the Commissioner said, praying for God’s continued guidance for the police chief.

Sani urged the beneficiaries to invest the funds wisely in ventures that would ensure lasting benefits for their dependents.

Responding on behalf of the recipients, Sonnen Simeon Mome thanked the IG for his generosity, noting that the support would have a meaningful impact on their lives.

“This gesture shows that the Nigeria Police Force has not forgotten the sacrifices of our loved ones,” Mome said, assuring that the money would be put to good use.

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Tinubu congratulates minister, NLNG boss on GECF roles

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President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, on his emergence as President of the 2026 Gas Exporting Countries Forum Ministerial Meeting held in Doha, Qatar.

PUNCH Online reports that the 27th ministerial meeting was held today, Thursday, in Doha, Qatar. Key items discussed include coordination among member states to address global policies that may pose challenges to the development and trade of natural gas.

Participants also discussed organisational matters, including the election of the next GECF Secretary-General and preparations for the 8th GECF Heads of State Summit, to be held in Moscow.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President also felicitated with the Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited, Philip Mshelbila, on his election as Secretary-General of the GECF.

The president described their new roles as a further consolidation of Nigeria’s leadership in global gas diplomacy.

Tinubu expressed confidence that both Mshelbila and Ekpo will represent Nigeria with excellence and collaborate with other member states to deepen cooperation, stability, and inclusivity in the global gas market.

“The Nigerian government is proud of Mshelbila’s election as secretary-general and Ekpo’s emergence as president of the GECF Ministerial meeting, as the two positions reflect the international community’s confidence in Nigeria’s leadership and technical expertise in the global gas sector,” the President said.

“Natural gas remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial growth, energy security, and economic transformation under our administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Our country shall remain a dependable voice in advancing equitable energy access and a cleaner energy future,” he added.

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Trailer kills Kogi varsity lecturer

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Tragedy struck in the university community of Felele, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Wednesday, as a heavy-duty truck crushed a lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, Federal University, Lokoja.

The Kogi State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Tenimu Etuku, confirmed the death of the lecturer, Mrs Kemi Emmanuel, on Thursday in a telephone conversation with our correspondent in Lokoja, describing the incident as “very sad and unfortunate.”

Etuku said the accident occurred around 3:30 pm on Wednesday when the lecturer fell off a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada, after being hit by a speeding truck along the highway at Crusher, in the Lokoja metropolis.

“When the accident happened, our rescue team responded promptly and quickly rushed the victim to the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

“The corpse of the deceased has been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.

The FRSC commander expressed shock over the conduct of the okada rider involved in the incident.

This heartrending occurrence has once again highlighted growing concerns over the increasing frequency of accidents involving heavy-duty trucks along the busy Felele axis.

PUNCH Online reports that in May 2025, 19 people, including five children, lost their lives in a tragic accident along the Obajana–Lokoja road, prompting the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, to call for stricter enforcement of road traffic laws on federal highways.

Similarly, in April, six persons died in a road crash involving a passenger bus along the Lokoja–Abuja road, while on October 12, ten persons were killed in another accident along the same Obajana–Lokoja route.

Residents and students have since voiced their concerns, urging the Kogi State Government to take immediate and strategic actions to prevent further tragic loss of lives in similar incidents.

It has been strongly suggested that regulations be introduced to restrict trailers from passing through the city during the day, allowing their movement only after 9:00 pm.

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