The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in all correctional and custodial facilities across Nigeria due to what it described as “critical human rights and security concerns.”
The organisation made the call during the 2025 Law Summit in Abuja, which also marked the launch of the second phase of the “Reforming Pre-Trial Detention in Nigeria” project, supported by the U.S. Department of State.
Speaking at the event, PPDC Chief Executive Officer, Lucy James Abagi, said that over 70,000 inmates across Nigeria’s correctional centres are currently awaiting trial, many without access to legal representation or adequate living conditions.
She revealed that PPDC, through a network of over 330 clinicians and 200 pro bono lawyers, provides free legal aid to indigent inmates, but noted that the scale of the crisis requires decisive government intervention.
Abagi stressed that neglecting correctional facilities undermines national security and human dignity, and urged the Ministries of Interior, Justice, and Humanitarian Affairs to prioritise structural reforms, decongestion measures, and justice delivery systems to protect inmates’ rights.
