Today, February 20th, is World Social Justice Day, and we would like to share an experience that profoundly impacted some of us as we reflect on social justice. November 27, 2023, was a sunny Monday, and though the day was beautiful, the lessons it brought have forever changed our outlook on life.

At around 10 AM that day, some of my colleagues and volunteers from the Access to Justice Initiative, the social justice advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility arm of The Firma Advisory, embarked on a journey to the Nigerian Correctional Service, Kuje Command (“Facility”) for the "Prison Decongestion" program. The journey from Wuse to Kuje felt lengthy by Abuja standards. However, upon arrival and after passing through the security checks, we were ushered into a neat and well-maintained facility. Thereafter, we were granted access to interact with some of the inmates and get a first-hand account of their experiences there.

Kuje Correctional Centre is a male detention facility. Upon entering, we were introduced to some of the inmates, some of whom had been incarcerated for what lay people would consider "minor offences." Despite having a capacity for 500 persons, the facility housed 692 inmates at the time of our visit. During our conversations with them, some inmates mentioned that their families were unaware of their whereabouts, and this violates Section 6 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which provides that “the authority having custody of the suspect shall have the responsibility of notifying the next of kin or relative of the suspect of the arrest at no cost to the suspect.” Some purposely kept their families uninformed to spare them worry. One inmate, whom we will refer to as Kay (not his real name), shared that neither his family nor his employer knew he was there, except the Complainant, even his mother was unaware as well. This made me contemplate how individuals can be in detention facilities without their families' knowledge, contributing to the issue of missing persons and overcrowded correctional facilities.

Akpos (not his real name) had a different situation. His family was aware of his incarceration; in fact, his father is a lawyer and a religious leader. However, when Akpos reached out to his father for assistance, his father informed him that he could not attend to him. Akpos had come to Abuja to work and support his family back in his home state. Despite holding two informal jobs, one of which was a security guard, he struggled to make ends meet, including finding accommodation. While on guard duty, he was arrested and charged with wandering. Unable to secure his bail, Akpos did not receive aid from his father.

We also inquired about the access to healthcare in the facility from the Chief Warder of the facility. He informed us that the facility has only one doctor which is worrisome how one doctor can efficiently attend to 692 inmates, excluding staff. However, it is crucial to note that since there is a state of emergency in our health system, these people will also be affected.

Our interest in healthcare access stemmed from the condition of one of the inmates, whom we will call Abu (not his real name). Abu had a swollen and red eye, with both eyes visibly injured. He also appeared to be on the autism spectrum. Abu was arrested for pickpocketing. As we are aware, jungle justice is still prevalent in Nigeria. Abu was severely beaten before his arrest by law enforcement agents. He did not understand English, so Danladi (another inmate) had to translate for him. Abu was homeless but informally employed. He worked offloading vehicles transporting fruits in one of Abuja's markets but barely earned enough. He lacked skills, but we learned that he was learning furniture making in the correctional facility, which was a positive development.

Kay, Akpos, Abu, and Danladi were not the only inmates we counselled or helped secure bail for. Their stories highlight the need for improved social justice in Nigeria. For some of these inmates, their bail was set at ₦20,000 (Twenty Thousand Naira) equivalent to $12.5 (Twelve Dollars, Five Cents), but neither they nor their families could afford it as some of them slept on the streets while free, and others could barely make enough to live by. Now incarcerated, it is more difficult for them and their families to pay the bail sum themselves. As the United Nations emphasises, "World Day of Social Justice reminds us each year of the need to build fairer, more equitable societies." A fairer and more equitable society means access to healthcare regardless of circumstances, access to education, and access to justice.

It is important to note that Kay and others whose whereabouts are unknown are not isolated cases. Every other day, people go missing in Nigeria. While some of their family members and good neighbours may post on social media asking for help in locating them, they may be languishing in prison or even in police detention cells because the database management system is not digitised and cannot be accessed from any of their facilities across the country. It is worth considering that even if some people wanted to inform their families about their whereabouts, they may not have access to their phones due to various reasons and may not even have anyone's phone number memorised. Danladi's (not his real name) case exemplifies this. Neither his wife nor friends knew where he was not because he did not want them to know but because he lacked the means.

On a positive note, we were able to secure bail for a few of the inmates, including covering their transportation expenses home, and their joy knew no bounds.

So, how can the government and good people help build a fairer and more equitable society? - Pay living wages. - Improve the healthcare system. - Digitise the justice system, including police and correctional services facilities records.

“Until we are all free, none of us are free.” - Emma Lazarus

To learn more about the Access to Justice Initiative and how you too can be a part financially or by volunteering, please contact +234-810-584-7051.