By Sunmola Olowookere
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Fifty days on, inmates in Nigeria Correctional Centres have continued to languish in prison custody since March 23, 2020 when the Chief Justice of the federation, Justice Mohammed Tanko ordered that the courts be shut following the outbreak of Coronavirus in Nigeria.

According to the directive issued to all the courts in Nigeria from the office of the Chief Justice of the federation, only urgent criminal and civil cases will be heard at the courts along with overnights, while others were put on hold for the time being in order to avert Coronavirus outbreak at the courts.

According to studies, most prisons in the country are overpopulated.

Impeccable sources stated that as at Saturday, there were 835 inmates at the Olokuta Correctional Facility in Akure, with more than 600 of them awaiting trial.

However, the Ondo state Chief Judge gave assurance that the judiciary would work round the clock in a bid to relieve the stifling congestion.

In the last 18 months, the Ondo state Judiciary had made conscientious effort to make good it’s promise but things are not yet uhuru at the prison.

Reacting on the issue of the closure of the courts and it’s attendant effects, a university don, Dr. Gbenga Oke Samuel stated that the inability of the inmates to get prompt access to justice constitute a violation of their rights to personal liberty as they are being detained beyond the expectations of the law.

He regretted that Nigeria prisons which had been congested prior to the development would experience more congestion as the days go by, and those that are awaiting trial and should get justice are being denied.

Oke Samuel stressed that this would bring about more government spending on maintenance of detainees as the number of inmates increase.

He said that although courts in most parts of the world and in some parts of Nigeria are embracing possible virtual trial, but the process remains a serious challenge.

He suggested that courts may have to do more in the area of ordering further release of minor offenders and release others under stringent conditions on bail as it did earlier.

Also speaking on the issue during a programme  monitored on radio, a lawyer, Yemi Aladetoyinbo described the plights of the inmates with awaiting or ongoing trials as sympathetic as they would have their justice delayed.

He disclosed that the courts in Lagos, Borno and Taraba states have made arrangements whereby judges can transmit trials and counsels file their processes online.

He said that the procedure was a workable one which would help at making sure that court proceedings are not halted indefinitely, if it is encouraged in Ondo State.

He however regretted that many counsels’ chambers and courtrooms lack the equipment that could ensure the smooth running of online trials if embraced.

It would be recalled that National Judicial Council had announced guidelines titled.”

National Judicial Council Covid-19 policy report: guidelines for court sitting and related matters in the Coronavirus period” for the use of technology to ensure the speedy dispensation of justice during this period.

In the guidelines , the body also said that social media channels would be used to live stream court proceedings to the public and approved virtual sittings for all head of courts using collaborative platform such as MS365, Zoom, Google meeting and other tools with electronic recording functionalities.

Almost a forthright ago, it would also be recalled that a working group was set up by Justice Tanko to examine how the court can restart sittings in a safe manner.

Lending his voice to the issue was the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Akure branch Segun Akeredolu Esq, who clarified that it was only selected cases in which time is of essence that are going on at the Magistrates’ Courts, while bail applications were still being taken at all courts especially for bailable offences.