Nigeria’s Correctional Crisis: Inmate Population Hits 80,812

Nigeria has 80,812 people in custody, including 51,955, or 64 per cent, awaiting trial, according to the Nigeria Correctional Service. Overcrowded, ageing facilities face inadequate funding, security problems, shortages affecting food and healthcare, while corruption undermines reform efforts. Investigation delays, repeated adjournments and inadequate legal representation contribute to prolonged pre-trial detention. In a judgment delivered on May 15, 2026, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled that prolonged detention and resulting overcrowding violated several fundamental rights.