Barely two months after inauguration, the Citizens’ Liberties Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has consistently been a watchdog over the strict observance of the rights to liberty of Nigerians.

On Monday, 4th November, 2024, the Committee led by its Chairman, Mr Nuhu J. Egya, Esq. accompanied the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Honourable Justice Husseini Yusuf-Baba, alongside Judges of the FCT High Court, DCR’s, Magistrates, Registrars, Civil Societies Organizations and other stakeholders for Correctional Centre decongestion.

Highlights of the visit included payment of option of fines for indigent inmates and waiver of compensations against inmates of which victims are by law expected to pursue civil action according to law. Fines were paid by CSOs, individuals, and other observers. The Honourable Chief Judge also painstakingly attended to over 400 cases of Awaiting Trial Inmates (ATM) to ensure that no inmate was being abandoned in prison or kept for no just cause.

The visit was yet another expression by the judiciary that it is not oblivious of her duties and responsibilities of checkmating the overall administration of criminal justice and it operations as concerns other stakeholders in the Justice sector.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) under the leadership of Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, Life Bencher, is bent on ensuring that the rights and privileges of Nigerians including inmates are safeguarded and full operations of the ACJA criminal Justice system is carried out within the bounds of law and Justice.