The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, has ordered the release of 35 inmates awaiting trial from custodial centres in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Justice Baba-Yusuf discharged the inmates—33 males and 2 females—during his visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Keffi, on Tuesday.

Explaining the decision, the Chief Judge stressed the need to ensure justice is not delayed or denied.

“There are a lot of people who shouldn’t be here in the first place. This visit is to ensure that people who have no business being here are not kept behind doors, not even for one day. That is what we have done. Today, we have been able to set free 35 people who have no business being here, and that is a huge boost,” he said.

Justice Baba-Yusuf noted that the review exercise would become a routine practice to prevent undue suffering of inmates. He also directed the Director in charge of magistrates to intensify oversight on court proceedings to guarantee smoother trials.

He further disclosed that magistrates handling cases in the FCT had been cautioned to improve case management strategies so that trials are concluded swiftly and detainees know their fate without prolonged delays.

Also present at the visit, Miss Cynthia Onyeka, Programme Officer at the Public and Private Development Center (PPDC), a civil society organisation, lauded the Chief Judge’s intervention, describing it as a step toward justice reform and decongestion of prisons.