NSC urges judges to use non-custodial sentences for less serious offences

President, Nigeria Society for Criminology (NSC), Prof. Oludayo Tade, on Monday, called on the judiciary to use non-custodial sentences more for less serious offences as one of the ways to decongest Nigeria’s overcrowded custodial facilities and reduce the number of inmates on awaiting trial.

Tade while speaking with journalists in Ibadan on the just concluded 3rd International Conference of the Society held at the University of Abuja, with the theme, “Correctional service reformation in Nigeria : Promoting justice, rehabilitation, and social reintegration”, stressed the urgency of addressing the high number of awaiting-trial inmates, noting that 53,234 (66%) of the total inmate population (81,234) are awaiting trial, contributing significantly to overcrowding and systemic inefficiencies.

He said the number of awaiting trial inmates in Nigeria’s custodial facilities impacts the welfare of both correctional service personnel and the inmates’ desire to access justice.

According to him, the Keynote Speaker at the conference was the Controller-General of Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, represented by the Controller of Corrections, Tukura Yakubu, spoke on “2019 Correctional Service Act : Challenges and prospects for effective implementation”, advocated for the co-location of the courts and the custodial facilities which he said would hasten justice dispensation and remove some of the logistical challenges associated with taking inmates to courts.

He also pushed for the use of technology to improve access to justice and hasten quick dispensation of cases before the courts, saying “technology adaptation in investigation, trial and corrections is possible if we leverage on technology.”

He added that the CGC also implored legal practitioners to increase their interventions “by way of offering pro-bono services to inmates that cannot afford legal representation.”

While thanking the Federal Government on the ongoing improvement of the capacity of custodial centres among other ongoing renovations, he asked for more logistical support across all levels of government, particularly with state and local governments.

Tade stated further that the Director General, State Security Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Criminal Cases Department, Directorate of Legal Services, Cynthia Uche Orjinta (Esq), in his goodwill message, noted that the theme of the conference resonates with the collective aspiration for a just and equitable society.

He said, “True justice encompasses the reformation (of offenders) and their successful reintegration as productive members of the society. This requires a holistic approach that addresses the immediate needs of the inmates as well as systemic issues that contribute to crime and recividism.”

According to him, the journal of the society, the Nigeria Journal of Criminology and Security Studies was inaugurated at the conference by the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Society, Prof..Hawa’u Evelyn Yusuf, who lauded the executive and the editorial board for the feats achieved.