PRISON DECONGESTION: LACON VISITS KEFFI CUSTODIAL CENTRE.

The Legal Aid Council under the watch of Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar was in Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre to interview inmates and follow up on those
Inmates whose cases are pending in various courts within Abuja and its environs.

Sixteen (16) inmates whose offences range from conspiracy, theft, affray, rape and so on were all attended to.

The Deputy-Director in charge of LACoN FCT Office, Barrister Okwuegbu Egenti who led the team of lawyers
and paralegals to the Custodial Center informed those slated for bail to liaise with their family member so that their bail conditions can be met.

On the issue of juveniles
staying in the same cells with adult prisoners, the Barrister Egenti told the Welfare Officer of the Correctional Centre that LACoN will pay a visit to FCT Command and will table it to the Controller who will take it up from there to the appropriate quarters.

He stated that Juveniles staying in the same cell with adults is not good and also not in the interest of the Nation because some hardened criminals can intimidate and corrupt them. He concluded by saying ‘If there are no juvenile homes in Keffi and Abuja, I am sure the Government with the
Renewed Hope Agenda will look into that.

The Management of the Custodial Centre should be commended for their well kept environment and the neat appearance of the inmates as well as the feeding pattern despite the economic hardship in the country.

However, it was observed that the cells are over stretched as the capacity is for 300-350 inmates maximum LACON saw on record 779 inmates which might contribute to the rate of deaths recorded in the
Custodial centre in the past three (3) years. It calls for concern likewise the issue of Juveniles that is the under-aged living will full grown adults with questionable