Emmanuel Onyebadi: Some Inmates Remain Behind Bars Over Fines Below N5,000

Some inmates in Nigeria remain behind bars for years despite requiring fines of less than N5,000 for release, while others await trial without conviction. Sir Emmanuel Onyebadi, Worthy Advocate of the Knights of Saint Mulumba’s Victoria Garden City Sub-Council, decries these injustices, prison congestion and delayed trials, urging reforms to restore dignity and hope. He speaks with Sunday Ehigiator

KSM is involved in several social activities. Walk us through your contributions, particularly in the area of prison advocacy and social welfare?

I should clarify that the head of the Knights at the Sub-Council level is the Grand Knight. I am a member of the Sub-Council’s executive, and my responsibility falls under prison advocacy. The Order’s responsibilities are divided among different offices, each with clearly defined functions. Therefore, I will speak specifically about the work of the Prison and Advocacy Committee of the VGC Sub-Council rather than claim to speak for the entire Sub-Council. Our committee is concerned with the welfare, dignity, rights and rehabilitation of inmates, as well as advocacy for justice and humane treatment within the criminal justice system. In Nigeria, once someone is arrested and charged, society often begins to treat that person as a criminal. When the person is remanded in a custodial centre, there is sometimes the perception that they have lost their rights and privileges and can no longer relate meaningfully with society. Through prison visits and other interventions, we seek to assist people in these circumstances. Many inmates are awaiting trial and have not been convicted of any offence, yet some spend years in custody. Our activities cover several areas. First, we visit inmates, pray with them, counsel them, encourage them and help them maintain their faith. Secondly, we provide welfare and humanitarian assistance by mobilising donations of food, clothing and other necessities, particularly for indigent inmates who have nobody to support them. Thirdly, we advocate against prison congestion, prolonged pretrial detention and barriers to access to justice. We also promote the humane treatment of inmates. We identify inmates who could be released after paying relatively small fines. In some cases, the amount required is less than N5,000. Where appropriate, we help such inmates meet these obligations so they can be released. We also facilitate access to legal assistance through lawyers who provide services to inmates who need help navigating the justice system. Finally, we focus on rehabilitation and reintegration. Releasing someone from custody is not enough. Those who have spent considerable time there need support to rebuild their lives and return to society. We therefore explore ways of helping them acquire the resources and skills necessary to reintegrate successfully.

How are these activities organised across Lagos, and which custodial centre does the VGC Sub-Council serve?

The Knights of Saint Mulumba have a presence across the ecclesiastical provinces in Nigeria. We belong to the Lagos Ecclesiastical Province and operate under the Lagos Metropolitan Council, which has sub-councils spread across Lagos State. The VGC Sub-Council is assigned to work with the Ikoyi Medium Custodial Centre. Other sub-councils also undertake prison visitation and related activities at custodial centres within the Lagos Archdiocese. Our work is coordinated with the Archdiocesan Prison Apostolate and its prison chaplaincy to ensure consistency in our activities. We also report our interventions to the Metropolitan Council, which relates to the Archdiocese. It is important to emphasise that membership of the VGC Sub-Council’s Prison and Advocacy Committee comprises both Knights and Ladies of the Sub-Council. Furthermore, the work we undertake at the VGC Sub-Council is replicated, and in some cases on a much larger scale, by Advocacy Committees of other sub-councils under the Lagos Metropolitan Council, operating under the leadership of the Metropolitan Advocate. The Order remains committed to promoting Christian values of mercy, justice, human dignity and the rehabilitation of offenders through practical action. In line with the mission of the Archdiocesan Prison Apostolate, we recognise that a person in prison retains their human dignity and deserves care, while also respecting victims’ rights and the requirements of justice.

What specific intervention has the VGC Sub-Council undertaken to improve inmates’ welfare, particularly in healthcare?

During our prison visitation in 2025, we discovered that many inmates urgently needed medical assistance. The correctional authorities were making efforts to maintain the dignity and welfare of inmates, but the large number of people in their custody placed considerable pressure on the resources available to them. We found several inmates suffering from hernia and requiring surgery. Others needed basic medical care and medicines. Following that visit, we decided to concentrate some of our resources on helping critically ill inmates access treatment. As a Sub-Council, we mobilised funds among ourselves to support hernia surgeries. The initiative was successful, and we have adopted it as an annual programme. Each year, we aim to support a specified number of inmates who require the procedure. The process is transparent. The correctional authorities identify inmates in critical need of surgery, while our medical practitioners liaise with the facility’s medical personnel to assess the cases and coordinate the intervention. We provide the necessary funding and medical supplies, while the surgeries are conducted by the appropriate medical personnel at the correctional facility’s clinic in Kirikiri. We have witnessed these procedures and seen the relief they bring to beneficiaries. For our Sub-Council, our target for the 2025–2026 period has been to support approximately 10 inmates to undergo hernia surgery. We have funded the programme, with three cases remaining at the time of this interview, pending the presentation and identification of suitable beneficiaries. We have also provided medical supplies based on lists of essential medicines submitted by the correctional authorities. We have completed two rounds of such support, with another planned before the end of November. These interventions are not intended to replace the responsibilities of government. Rather, they are our contribution to ensuring that inmates who urgently need medical care are not neglected because of resource constraints.

From your prison visits, how would you describe the condition of custodial centres in Nigeria, and what needs to change?

The experience is not pleasant. Congestion is one of the first things you notice when you visit a custodial centre. The number of people held there is enormous relative to the facilities available, and one can only imagine the conditions in the rooms where inmates sleep. The facilities require additional improvements to make them more suitable for human habitation. This is particularly concerning because many inmates have not been convicted of any offence; they are awaiting trial. We also discovered that delays sometimes occur because inmates cannot be transported to court when their cases are scheduled for hearing. Moving inmates requires functional vehicles and adequate security arrangements. When these are unavailable, court appearances can be delayed, prolonging detention. Feeding and access to necessities are also concerns. While I cannot speak authoritatively about every aspect of the feeding arrangements because I do not have all the relevant information, the overall conditions demonstrate the need for greater investment in the correctional system. The authorities in charge of custodial centres do not determine how many people are arrested and brought into their facilities. Once individuals are remanded, the authorities must accommodate them, regardless of whether the available infrastructure can adequately support the population. Our court system also contributes to the problem. Repeated adjournments, delayed trials and other procedural challenges mean that some inmates remain in custody for extended periods. The purpose of incarceration should include rehabilitation. If someone has committed an offence, the correctional system should help that person recognise the consequences of their actions, reform and return to society as a better citizen. Unfortunately, some former inmates struggle to reintegrate because society rejects them and they lack the skills or support needed to earn a living. This can contribute to reoffending. The problem is therefore not limited to the custodial centres themselves. It also involves the justice system, public attitudes and the absence of sufficient rehabilitation and reintegration programmes.

What reforms would you recommend to address congestion and prolonged detention in custodial centres?

Our justice system is largely adversarial, and we need to make greater use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve appropriate cases without prolonged litigation. Alternative dispute resolution is already being practised in some states, including Lagos. Expanding access to these mechanisms could help reduce the number of cases that proceed through lengthy court processes. We also need to improve investigative procedures. Ideally, when someone is suspected of committing an offence, the authorities should conduct proper investigations and establish credible evidence before taking the necessary steps towards prosecution. In some cases, however, people are arrested first, and investigations begin afterwards. This can result in prolonged detention, cases that do not proceed effectively and situations in which people are held without sufficient evidence to justify prosecution. We must strengthen investigative standards and ensure that people are not subjected to unnecessary detention. Public education is also important. In Nigeria, it can be easy for someone to be accused of an offence, and allegations can sometimes have serious consequences even when the person is later found to be innocent. Addressing these challenges require legal reform, better investigative practices, more efficient courts and a change in public attitudes towards people who have been detained. However, at the VGC Sub-Council, we have chosen to focus particularly on interventions that directly preserve human life and dignity. That is why healthcare has become a major priority for us.

Beyond healthcare, what is the Sub-Council doing to support inmates’ education and skills development?

We have not abandoned our other responsibilities. We continue to support inmates in education and other areas where we can make a difference. For example, we discovered that some inmates were due to sit for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations but had nobody to sponsor them. So far, we have assisted 17 candidates to sit for their WAEC examinations. That number is only a small fraction of those who need assistance. Unfortunately, the cost of sponsorship is relatively high, limiting what we can currently do. We have also encountered inmates who are university graduates pursuing master’s and even doctoral programmes. Some of them need sponsorship to continue their education. If we can secure more resources, we would like to support these inmates so that they can continue their studies and emerge from custody better prepared to contribute to society. Education can also create opportunities for inmates to teach one another. Those with the requisite knowledge and qualifications could help prepare fellow inmates for examinations and other academic pursuits. Skills acquisition is another important area. We have seen inmates engaged in soap-making, artwork, tailoring, perfume production and the manufacture of diffusers, among other activities. Some of the products are well made and could compete favourably in the marketplace. The challenge is finding the resources and opportunities to expand production and create a sustainable market for them. With appropriate support, these activities could generate income, improve inmates’ welfare and equip them with marketable skills before their release. There is considerable talent within custodial centres. What is needed is a more deliberate effort to develop these abilities and connect them with opportunities.

What role does public awareness play in improving welfare of inmates and supporting their reintegration?

Public awareness is extremely important. Unfortunately, there is insufficient public understanding of the conditions in custodial centres and the challenges inmates face. Many people rely on what they read on social media or in the news without fully appreciating the realities of life in custody. Our sensitivities to the suffering of others appear to be diminishing. We hear reports of killings, kidnappings and other terrible incidents, and they often become just another news story.

We no longer respond to such suffering with the level of concern it deserves. If we cannot empathise with people in difficult circumstances, it becomes harder to offer meaningful assistance. We need to educate the public about the realities of incarceration, including the fact that many inmates are awaiting trial and have not been convicted of any offence. There are also restrictions on taking photographs of inmates and their living conditions, which can make it more difficult to show the public what happens inside custodial facilities. Nevertheless, organisations such as ours have a responsibility to use appropriate channels to raise awareness, encourage compassion and promote constructive interventions. The more people understand these challenges, the more likely they are to support efforts to improve inmates’ welfare and rehabilitation.

What’s your message to inmates and their families, particularly those who feel forgotten or abandoned?

First and foremost, we see inmates as human beings who have found themselves in difficult circumstances. We encourage them not to regard themselves as outcasts but to recognise that they can still use their time in custody to improve themselves. We remind them that they have not necessarily been forgotten by their families or society. Some families may not even know that their relatives are in custody.

Rather than assume they have been abandoned, inmates should see their circumstances as an opportunity to rediscover their abilities, develop their potential and prepare for a better future. Those approaching release also need counselling. We work to encourage them to return to society with a positive outlook and a determination to contribute meaningfully. However, rehabilitation cannot succeed without acceptance by the wider society. Former inmates often face stigma and suspicion, making it difficult to secure employment and rebuild their lives. We must therefore educate our communities to give people who have served their sentences, or who have otherwise been lawfully released, an opportunity to demonstrate that they have changed. Of course, genuine repentance and accountability are important. Respecting the rights of victims and the requirements of justice does not prevent us from showing compassion to offenders and supporting their rehabilitation. The biblical story of the prodigal son reminds us of the importance of welcoming someone who returns and seeks a fresh start. Similarly, Christian teaching calls on us to visit those in prison and offer them care and encouragement. Compassion for people in custody is not exclusively a Christian responsibility. Every member of society has a role to play in ensuring that people who have offended, or who are awaiting trial, are treated with dignity and given appropriate opportunities for rehabilitation.

Does the VGC Sub-Council collaborate with CSO’s, government agencies or other institutions to advance prison advocacy?

Yes. We work with established bodies through which we carry out many of our activities. These include the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) and the Association of Catholic Lawyers. We also work through the Prison Chaplaincy of the Archdiocese of Lagos, which coordinates prison-related activities within the Church’s structures. These partnerships provide avenues for advancing our advocacy, supporting inmates and coordinating interventions. Our collaboration with these organisations helps ensure that our activities are properly directed and that we can contribute to broader efforts to improve the welfare and rehabilitation of people in custody.

Funding is clearly important to sustaining these interventions. How can members of the public support your work?

Public awareness is an important starting point, and this interview is part of that effort. When people understand what we are doing and see the results, organisations and individuals may be encouraged to partner with us on specific interventions. One challenge in Nigeria is trust. People sometimes hesitate to contribute because they are uncertain whether their donations will be used for the purposes intended. That is why transparency and accountability are essential. In our own interventions, we do not simply release funds and leave everything to chance. We work with the relevant professionals and authorities, ensure that resources reach the people responsible for specific tasks, and monitor the process to confirm that the intended work is done. For example, in our medical interventions, we work with medical personnel to identify the needs, coordinate treatment and follow up on the process. This approach helps us achieve results and gives us confidence that the resources entrusted to us are being put to proper use. With greater awareness and confidence in our work, we believe Nigerians, corporate organisations, faith-based groups and international partners could support specific projects in healthcare, education, skills acquisition and rehabilitation. Such partnerships would enable us to reach more inmates and expand the impact of our interventions.

What’s your final message to Nigerians about prison advocacy and the work of KSM?

My message is that we must stop stereotyping everyone detained in a correctional centre as a criminal who can no longer fit into society. We need to change the perception that everyone behind the walls of a custodial centre is beyond redemption. People in custody remain human beings who deserve dignity and appropriate care. We should be willing to support initiatives that enable them acquire useful skills, continue their education and return to society as better citizens. The ultimate objective is not merely to help people leave custody. It is to help them rebuild their lives, embrace positive values and avoid returning to the circumstances that brought them there.

The Knights of Saint Mulumba remain committed to promoting Christian values of mercy, justice, human dignity and rehabilitation through practical action. We also recognise the importance of respecting victims’ rights and ensuring that justice is served. We must all contribute to building a society in which people are held accountable for their actions but are not denied the opportunity to reform and make positive contributions. That is the spirit in which we undertake our prison advocacy work.