Police, Magistrates begin training on prison decongestion

The Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee has commenced the training of magistrates and law enforcement agents on ease of accessing information on detainees in various correctional centres.

Executive Secretary of the committee, Sulayman Dawudu said during the training on Tuesday in Kaduna that the aim was to enable the participants track each detainee and determine whether they could be released.

Dawudu who was represented by Mr Moyo Baluwade, said that the aim was to advance the course of justice and decongest correctional facilities.

He explained that the committee has developed a portal containing records of all detainees for magistrates and law enforcement officers to access during oversight visitation to various detention centers.

In his goodwill message, the Acting Chief Judge, Kaduna State, Justice Tukur Mu’azu said the development would provide a window for the release of detainees who ought not be in correctional facilities.

“This is a very important workshop, because it’s going to train our magistrates and other law enforcement agents the importance of freedom of the detainees.

“I am sure we have so many detainees that should be free, but are in prisons; this job is very important, as it will keep our detention centers according to the position of the law.

“The ACJN has made very clear provision on powers of Chief Magistrates to visit and regulate the facilities; whether the detention center is keeping those that are supposed to be kept and for a period that is allowed by the law or not,” he added.

Mu’azu therefore commended the committee for introducing the portal, which he described as timely and apt.

SP Mathias Danjuma, OC Legal, Kaduna State Police Command who spoke on behalf of participating police officers, welcomed the initiative saying it would enable them discharge their duties assiduously.