The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) are facing a probe panel for their alleged role in the congestion of custodial facilities across the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the panel investigating the alleged corruption and other violations in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) had been told that the Police and the NDLEA contributed to prison congestion.
Briefing the media at the ongoing second public hearing, Secretary of the panel, Dr. Uju Agomoh, explained that the NPF faced accusations of detaining individuals beyond the constitutional limit without trial.
Agomoh said that the Police was also accused of arresting suspects without sufficient evidence, and holding individuals without proper investigation.
In relation to the police, she said “Section 43 of the NCoS Act was also brought to attention as it speaks to the notion of restorative justice applicable at the pre-trial stage.
“If the police is open to collaborate with the NCoS in relation to this, we can reflect on the recommendation of the panel, “she said.
She, however, said that there was a need for increased partnership between the NDLEA and the NCoS.
This, he said, should be in terms of ensuring that issues about treatment and rehabilitation of those who have drug issues and problems in correctional services were also being addressed.
The panel secretary requested from the NDLEA, all of the lists that included all the places of detention and the persons that were detained there.
“We have also requested from the police, indication of the designated capacities of those facilities, the total number of lockups, the disaggregation in terms of gender, age and charges, if possible,”she said.
Responding, a representative from the Police, Joshua Pandegh, said that measures were being implemented to ensure that every police station had a lawyer assigned to assist with prosecutions.
Speaking for the NDLEA, Deputy Director, Prosecution and Legal Service, Obiageli Iwuchukwu, said that the NDLEA was proposing plea bargaining.
This, she said, would be a potential solution to alleviate congestion in the country’s custodial facilities and to provide the panel with information about their detention centres.
Earlier, the panel Chair, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, pressed for clarification on who managed transfers and requested reports on allegations of fake certificates within the service which were part of complaints brought before the panel.
NAN reports that the panel requested detailed information about the number of police detention centres and detainees nationwide, emphasising the need for improved documentation and transparency.
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