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The Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Iboroma, said there are over 20,000 inmates awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
He, however, said efforts are underway to decongest the correctional facility in the state with the setting up of a task force.
Iboroma stated this at a Special Court Session organised to mark the opening of the 2024/2025 Legal Year at the Rivers State High Court premises in Port Harcourt on Thursday
The Justice Commissioner expressed annoyance that some of the affected inmates have spent as long as 16 years in the correctional centre without their case being mentioned in court for their alleged crimes.
Iboroma stated, “Another sore area is prison congestion. It is a major challenge. There are over 20, 000 awaiting trial inmates without any record or history of prosecution.
“Their alleged crimes include murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism. Some of these awaiting trial inmates for more than 16 years they have not appeared in court one day.
“A task force has been constituted in the office of the Director of Public Prosecution to solve this problem.
“Rendering of legal advice in criminal cases referred to the office of the DPP is another sore point. Compromises are often made by the unscrupulous.”
The Attorney-General further said within the past year that he personally ensured the vetting of all legal advice to stem incidences of compromise.
Iboroma, also addressed 65 fiat applications in favour of legal practitioners, signed 337 consent files, resolved 41 cases on mediation, offered 15 pro-bono representations, and attracted over N124 million as tax to the State Government.
On his part, former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Chief Onueze Okocha, SAN, who spoke on behalf of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, expressed the hope that the courts in Rivers State will continue to discharge their duties to the best of their abilities to avert unnecessary delays that affect the just, efficient and speedy dispensation of justice.
