Europe must not let Gaza become the graveyard of international law and human rights. By Former EU and Member State Ambassadors and Senior Officials Share Save Amid mounting concern about the remorseless attacks by Israel against the civilian population in Gaza, which, since October 7, 2023, have reportedly led to the deaths and injuries of over 227,000 Palestinians and the displacement, in the last two weeks, of more than 400,000 people, 325 former European Union and Member State Ambassadors and Senior Officials are calling for urgent action. We strongly urge the EU to immediately impose targeted sanctions on the Israeli government and suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. In addition, we urge the President of the United Nations General Assembly and the Chair of the United Nations Security Council to convene emergency meetings of both bodies to adopt sanctions against Israel for the multiple violations of international law being perpetrated daily against the people of Palestine. The United Nations, being the established global body for peace and security, must live up to its responsibilities. We cannot stand idly by, watching Gaza reduced to rubble and its inhabitants driven into destitution and starvation. The issue is whether the EU and like-minded nations will stand up for basic humanity and for the values that underpin the post-war international order. Action needs to be taken urgently to preserve life, end the military onslaught in Gaza, secure the return of all hostages, and move to governance arrangements that allow for a swift return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza as a necessary step towards a unified and democratically elected Palestinian government. We demand that EU leaders respond urgently to the fact that, in recent days, the actions of the Israeli army have escalated to another level, with the bombardment of Gaza City in pursuit of the openly declared Israeli government policy of clearing the population out of the city and forcing the displacement of a million and a half people within or even outside the territory. In addition, an engineered, man-made famine is unfolding in Gaza, already affecting 500,000 people. Severe malnutrition is rife, and more than 130 children have starved to death, despite the International Court of Justice’s provisional findings in February 2024 in the case brought against Israel, which required all States to take action to ensure that adequate humanitarian supplies reach Gaza. Finally, Israel has blatantly ignored the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of September 18, 2024 calling for an end to its illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, instead doubling down by annexing additional swathes of Palestinian territory. While noting the European Commission’s newly announced proposals for limited measures against Israel, our conviction is that the EU’s institutions and its Member States must act far more decisively to uphold international law and protect human rights, notably by suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, ceasing the export and import of arms and military equipment, banning imports from Israel’s illegal settlements, restricting access to EU co-financed programmes, and urging Israel’s other key trade partners, including in the Global South, to follow suit. They must also impose immediate targeted sanctions on Israel’s political and military leadership and all those complicit in and responsible for war crimes, ensuring accountability. In addition, we urge the 13 EU Member States that have not yet done so to join both the 147 UN Member States who have already recognised the State of Palestine, and those who have announced they will do so at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly meeting, including France, Belgium, Malta, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Furthermore, the EU must demonstrate political and diplomatic leadership within all UN bodies and in partnerships with the Global South, Arab States and regional powers, to pressure Israel into compliance with its international obligations. It must also support and strengthen the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the key platform for a sustainable political solution allowing Palestinians and Israelis to coexist in peace and security, and demand that the US rescind decisions preventing official representatives of Palestine and the UN from engaging in dialogue at the United Nations General Assembly. The heinous attacks of 7 October 2023 by Hamas and others against Israeli citizens, along with the continuing detention of hostages, can never justify the retribution wreaked on Gaza, which is becoming the graveyard of international law and universal human rights. Reckless military assaults of the type committed by Israel on the sovereign territory of Qatar, a key player in ceasefire talks, together with the lack of effective action, will condemn generations of both Palestinians and Israelis to perpetual suffering and continue to destabilise the region and beyond. It is incumbent on all of us, as global citizens, to demand from our leaders nothing less than the full application of international law. The time to act is now. The full list of signatories of this letter can be viewed here. The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

Pakistan agrees to have Andy Pycroft as a cricket match referee after he apologises for his role in a handshake row against India. By Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi Share Save Pakistan’s cricket match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Asia Cup was delayed by an hour amid uncertainty about the fixture as Pakistani officials deliberated pulling out of the tournament as a mark of protest. The match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium began at 7:30pm local time (15:30 GMT) on Wednesday, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) reached an agreement on Andy Pycroft’s assignment as match referee following his role in the “no handshake” row involving India three days earlier. “The ICC’s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team,” the PCB said in a statement released minutes before the toss for the Pakistan-UAE fixture. “Andy Pycroft termed the September 14 incident a result of miscommunication.” The PCB also said that the ICC “expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the September 14 match”, referring to Pycroft’s request to Pakistan and India captains to avoid the customary handshake at the toss, which the PCB alleges contravened the laws of the game. Pycroft was the key match official in the crucial and politically charged match between the South Asian archrivals on Sunday, and had allegedly asked Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha and his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav to not partake in the customary captains’ handshake at the toss. Later, once Yadav hit the winning runs for India, he walked off the field along with his batting partner Shivam Dube without shaking the opposition’s hands – a tradition in cricket – in a move that went uncontested by the match officials. Additionally, the Indian players and staff did not shake hands with the Pakistani contingent and instead shut the door of their dressing room as the Pakistanis looked on. The move, and Pycroft’s decision not to reprimand the Indian team, infuriated the PCB, which lodged an immediate complaint with the tournament’s organisers. The PCB also wrote to the ICC on Monday, asking for Pycroft’s removal as match referee for all of Pakistan’s remaining fixtures due to his “failure to discharge his duties”, according to a PCB official who spoke to Al Jazeera on the condition of anonymity. The deadlock, resulting from the ICC’s apparent refusal to remove Pycroft, lasted up until an hour prior to the official match start time. Later, as Pycroft conducted the toss in Dubai, the PCB released a video of a meeting where ICC General Manager of Cricket Wasim Khan is seen mediating a settlement between Pycroft and the Pakistan team – represented by manager Naveed Akram Cheema, captain Agha, and head coach Mike Hesson. Hours earlier, the match’s fate was left in limbo as the Pakistani squad did not board the bus for the venue at its scheduled departure time, indicating a logistical logjam between the PCB and the ICC. However, once both parties had reached an agreement, the team departed for the stadium. But the fate of the match became certain five minutes before the toss with the PCB’s statement. Meanwhile, the UAE squad awaited Pakistan’s arrival at the stadium under a cloud of uncertainty. The Group A fixture acts as a knockout game for both teams, with the winner progressing to the Super Four stage of the eight-nation tournament. India have already qualified for the next stage on the back of their wins against the UAE and Pakistan. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

In recent years, the obsession with weight loss in Nigeria has morphed into an alarming public health concern. Across cities and rural communities alike, men and women are adopting extreme and unsafe methods to shed kilogrammes quickly, often driven by social media trends, celebrity culture, and deeply rooted societal expectations. The beauty ideal has become narrower, more Westernised, and unforgiving, causing many to chase an often unattainable version of “slimness”. As a result, dangerous practices such as unregulated drug use, prolonged fasting, extreme calorie restriction, cosmetic surgery tourism, and consumption of herbal concoctions have become widespread. Body image perception in Nigeria has evolved rapidly. Where once fuller bodies were celebrated as symbols of wealth, fertility, and health, today’s beauty standards, fuelled by social media influencers, Nollywood celebrities, and Western media, place a premium on slimness. Terms like “snatched waist,” “figure 8,” and “slim thick” have become aspirational labels, encouraging people to conform at any cost. According to a 2023 study by the Nigerian Institute for Health and Human Behaviour, over 68 per cent of urban Nigerian women aged 18–35 reported dissatisfaction with their bodies, citing social media as the top influence.   The rise of diet pills and slimming teas Weight loss pills and teas are among the most common and accessible methods for fast-track weight loss. These products, mostly unregulated and sold via social media vendors, promise quick results without exercise or dieting. However, many contain banned substances like sibutramine, which has been linked to heart complications. In March 2024, a 24-year-old Lagos-based influencer was hospitalised after collapsing at a photoshoot. Doctors later traced her condition to a toxic weight loss supplement imported from Asia. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has struggled to stem the influx of these products due to porous borders and a booming underground market. During the course of this story, our correspondent saw several social media vendors advertising various weight loss products. Ranging from teas and herbal mixtures to ointment and pills, these vendors promise fast results. One promised that the results would be ‘massively visible in only three days’. Experts have noted that weight loss is gradual and cannot be sustained over a few days’ plan of consuming untested, unlabelled concoctions.   Prolonged fasting, starvation diets The intersection of religion and weight loss has also produced some troubling behaviours. Prolonged fasting, often inspired by spiritual goals, is increasingly co-opted as a weight loss method. In one such case, a 32-year-old banker in Enugu reportedly engaged in a 40-day dry fast for “spiritual and weight loss purposes” and collapsed on day 28. Starvation diets promoted by self-styled wellness coaches can deprive the body of essential nutrients, leading to anaemia, hormonal imbalance, and organ damage. An auditor with one of the big four corporations, who chose to be identified as Eden for personal reasons, told our correspondent that he had gone on a 19-day water fast, consuming only table water for the period. “On Day 19, my eyes went completely blank, and I fainted at work. When I woke up, I was in the hospital, and the doctors said I lacked several macro and micro nutrients. When he asked if I was eating, I opened up to him that I was on a weight loss journey,” Eden said. According to Eden, the doctor was shocked as he was only 78 kilogrammes and was over 6 feet tall. “The thing is, my ex-girlfriend told me that I had a big stomach, and I wanted to change that, so I read somewhere that if I fasted continuously for 30 days, the stomach would go inside. “Did it work? Honestly, I don’t know but I knew that I was lacking energy and couldn’t sleep, and my entire body changed. I just knew it was not sustainable,” he said. A registered dietician and nutritionist, Emmanuel Udoh, had stressed that intermittent fasting could be done with the guidance of an expert, but that prolonged hunger strike could have long-term consequences. “Our bodies need these nutrients. I know that fasting has its own benefits, but it should be done with guidance and utmost care. Going for prolonged days without any medical advice can cause serious harm to the body,” he said. Udoh advised anyone who wanted to lose weight sustainably and maintain a leaner frame to visit a hospital and speak to a nutritionist for a meal plan that would work for their body type, considering all factors, including health risks and medical history.   Unsafe herbal mixtures, concoctions Locally brewed herbal mixtures, or “agbo,” are widely consumed for weight loss. While some herbs have medicinal value, most agbo formulations are unregulated, with unknown ingredients and dosages. Vendors often mix diuretics and laxatives, creating a toxic cocktail that can cause severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and kidney failure. In Kano, a 2022 study found that 41 per cent of women aged 18 to 40 had consumed at least one herbal product for weight loss in the past year.   Laxative abuse, colon cleansing The misuse of laxatives as a weight loss tool is another growing concern. Social media influencers frequently recommend “detox” routines that include excessive laxative use. Medical professionals warn that such abuse leads to chronic constipation, dependency, and damage to the digestive tract. Colon cleansing kits are also popular despite little scientific backing. A University of Ibadan study in 2023 found that 25 per cent of university students had used some form of colon cleansing to lose weight.   Excessive exercise, gym dependency While exercise is a healthy part of any weight management plan, compulsive exercising without rest or nutritional support can do more harm than good. Gym culture in cities like Lagos and Abuja has become increasingly competitive. Personal trainers with no formal education in physiology often push clients beyond safe limits. Overtraining syndrome, characterised by insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, and hormonal dysfunction, is on the rise. In 2023, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital reported a 32 per cent increase in exercise-induced hospital admissions over the past five years.   Mental health, eating disorders, stigma The conversation around weight loss in Nigeria rarely includes mental health. Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating, previously thought to be rare in African populations, are now being diagnosed with growing frequency. Cultural silence and stigma make it difficult for sufferers to seek help. A 2022 survey by the Nigerian Psychological Society showed that less than 10 per cent of respondents had ever heard of bulimia nervosa. Those struggling with weight-related anxiety and body dysmorphia often mask their symptoms, increasing the risk of psychological breakdowns.   Liposuction and BBLs Cosmetic surgery clinics have mushroomed across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, driven by demand for procedures such as liposuction and Brazilian Butt Lifts, popularly known as BBLs. Though some of these centres are reputable, others are poorly equipped and staffed by underqualified personnel. The tragic death of a 29-year-old woman in July 2023 after a botched BBL in Lekki sparked nationwide debate. Her death was one of at least 14 linked to cosmetic surgery complications between 2021 and 2024, according to a report by the Nigerian Association of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeons. The lack of regulatory oversight, coupled with patients’ desperation and secrecy, contributes to an environment where profit trumps safety.   The price of perfection Many Nigerians are spending beyond their means to attain the ideal body. From N15,000 slimming teas to N3m cosmetic procedures, the financial toll can be staggering. Some borrow or enter exploitative relationships to fund their weight loss journeys. An investigation by a leading Nigerian newspaper in 2023 found that one in seven young women in Lagos had taken out a loan to fund a beauty-enhancing procedure or product. The pressure to meet beauty standards is fuelling economic decisions that jeopardise long-term well-being.   Regulatory silence? Regulators have been slow to catch up. NAFDAC has warned against some weight loss products, but prosecutions are few. Influencers operate unchecked, peddling unverified products with zero consequences. Hospitals are seeing more botched procedures, but a culture of shame and secrecy keeps stories buried. Society, too, bears guilt. Fatphobia is rampant. From classrooms to boardrooms, comments like “You’ve added o!” are not just frequent, they are expected. For many Nigerian women, weight is a constant, public negotiation of value. Men, though often overlooked in the conversation, are not spared. Gym culture, steroid abuse, and male fasting trends are on the rise, albeit in less documented terms. NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement, warned Nigerians to always check for the agency’s unique number on a product before patronising any vendor. She also warned that anyone caught selling untested and undocumented products would be met with stiff sanctions and face the long arm of the law.   Safer, healthier alternatives Medical consensus remains clear: sustainable weight loss must be gradual, balanced, and behaviour-focused. The National Institutes of Health advises a daily caloric deficit of 500 to 1,000 kcal as a safe and effective strategy. This typically translates to a loss of 0.5 to 1 kilogramme per week. A key aspect of this is consistent physical activity. The Guardian UK highlights a study recommending at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly, with additional strength training, to reduce body fat and support long-term weight management. A public health expert in Abuja, Abubakar Bello, suggests integrating local, affordable foods into nutrition plans. “Nigerian diets are naturally rich in fibre, legumes, vegetables, and lean proteins. If prepared healthily, our local dishes can actually support a very effective weight loss journey,” he said. Udoh also warned of overeating. He said, “The problem with people who gain weight is that most of them overeat. There are hormonal and genetic issues, but most of the problems are that Nigerians consume too much processed sugar, especially in liquid forms, and we also have the tendency to binge-eat and eat at very odd hours.” Experts also encourage mental wellness as part of the solution. Behavioural therapy, food journaling, group support, and goal-setting are all proven tools to help individuals make mindful, lasting changes. Some even advocate intuitive eating and the ‘Health at Every Size’ approach, which shifts focus from appearance to overall well-being. The dangers of unhealthy weight loss practices are not limited to the individual. These habits can contribute to a wider national crisis of disordered eating, malnutrition, rising non-communicable diseases, and poor mental health. Public health officials are urging stronger regulation of slimming products, clearer labelling, and nationwide health education campaigns. A 2024 report from the WHO posits that while new pharmacological tools (like GLP-1 receptor agonists) show promise, they must be integrated responsibly within a broader system of care and not marketed as silver bullets.

In Nigeria, countless citizens are languishing in prison for years without trial, often forgotten by the justice system and society. Many of them are victims of wrongful arrests, police brutality, or mere suspicion, with no legal representation. VICTOR AYENI writes about the ordeal of these individuals and their journey to freedom Gospel Kinanee was lost in thought and detached in spirit as he looked outside from behind bars at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre in Rivers State. With distant eyes which radiate sadness from deep in the soul, the Ogoni native barely spoke unless spoken to first. And when he responded, his thoughts seemed to be fragmented. But there was something in Kinanee that called out for help, healing and sought justice. Sunday PUNCH gathered that Kinanee went missing from his family home in 2007, when he was just 14 years old. He had been sleeping outside one night when, according to his account, a group of policemen swept into his remote Ogoni village and forcefully took him. Some witnesses alleged that the police had raided his community during a crackdown on suspected cultists. The adolescent was first taken to a holding cell and was eventually transferred to the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre. Sunday PUNCH gathered that no charges were filed against Kinanee, and no explanation was given to him as to why he was arrested. He only recalled waking up behind prison walls a few days after his arrest, a sordid reality which put a brutal end to his childhood. Since that fateful day, the distraught teenager, now a 32-year-old and aged beyond his years, has watched from behind the prison bars as the sands of time slipped by. On the other hand, for years, Kinanee’s family desperately searched for him. They knocked on doors, reported to authorities, prayed, hoped, and eventually mourned him as dead. However, in September last year, Kinanee saw the first rays of hope beam on him when volunteers of Haven360 Foundation, a non-profit organisation that focuses on justice reform, visited the correctional centre during one of its outreaches. The ‘ghost’ who returned home When the volunteers of the Haven 360 Foundation dug deeper, they encountered a shocking discovery: there was no record of Kinanee in the prison system. He was incarcerated, but had no case file or documentation, and was practically ‘invisible’ behind bars. These kinds of inmates are known as ‘ghost prisoners.’ Due to missing files or a lack of documentation, they are neither convicted in a trial nor formally accused. They are languishing away in correctional centres, but they do not exist in legal terms. They are forgotten by the prison system and bereft of hope. Despite Kinanee’s mental condition and difficulty in communicating, the team of Haven360 Foundation was determined to help him regain his freedom. After months of letters, investigations, petitions, and sleepless nights, they traced his family and confirmed his identity. Last week Thursday, after being locked away in silence and forgotten for 18 years, Kinanee was formally discharged by the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi. The move was part of efforts to reduce the congestion in correctional facilities across the state. Justice Amadi confirmed that no charge had existed against Kinanee, and he was one of the freed 21 awaiting-trial inmates at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre. It was an emotional moment on July 17, as Kinanee walked out of the prison and was reunited with his family. In a video posted on the Haven360 Foundation’s Instagram page on Tuesday, Kinanee could be seen with his elder brothers and three nephews back in his family home. “We can’t imagine the years that have been taken away from him, and we can’t imagine the loss that he has suffered, but we believe with God’s support from the foundation, he is going to do better. “By tomorrow, that is, Monday, we will ensure that he receives medical attention, mental and otherwise, that he urgently needs,” a member of the team standing next to Kinanee said. The state Chief Judge further explained that the decision to release the 21 inmates from the correctional facility was based on a review of their cases. Justice Amadi further disclosed that two inmates released alongside Kinanee, who were mentally challenged persons, had also spent almost a decade behind bars, and urged the police to conduct diligent investigations before charging suspects in court. ‘Life in prison was too tough’ David Eddiong, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, was a pipeline welder in the city of Port Harcourt, where he lived with his widowed mother. However, due to financial constraints, Eddiong could not afford to buy the equipment required for his occupation and in a bid to survive, he decided to become a commercial driver. One day in 2020, he was arrested alongside some other individuals by SARS officers. According to Eddiong, the other individuals who were arrested that evening were able to bail themselves out of the police cell, but he had no money, so he was left there all alone. “The next day they asked me if I would call anybody, and I told them I didn’t have anybody living with me in my house then, so they took me to SARS detention the next day. “From the SARS facility, I was taken to prison. The case had no ground, there was no complainant, no charges filed against me, so I was just there since 2020 without going to court. I was left alone in there. “Life in prison was so tough for me. There was no food; everything was just about money. If you want to eat, you have to bring money; if you want to bathe, you pay. Even if you want to use the toilet, you pay,” Eddiong said, in a video posted on the Haven360 Foundation website.  SARS, a Nigerian Police Force unit, was created in 1992 to tackle crimes associated with robbery, vehicle theft, and kidnapping. The unit was controversial for its links to forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, extortion, framing and torture, among others. On October 11, 2020, the unit was disbanded after widespread protests across Nigeria themed #EndSARS were staged. Recounting what took place while her son was in prison for four years, Eddiong’s mother said after she sought help from people, without success, she prayed to God to spare her son’s life in prison. “I didn’t have a husband, brother or sister,” she said, wiping tears from her face. “Sometimes I would cry, and there were times I was hungry, because my son, who was supposed to help me, had been taken away from me. “Whenever he called me and told me he was hungry, I would wander in my thoughts. The little money I could gather, I would send someone in the family to give him, so he wouldn’t die. “There was a day his sister called me on the phone and told me that there was no food for my son in prison, that the available food was not good, and he couldn’t eat it, so he wouldn’t die, because people were dying in there. Sometimes, his sister would send him money.” Stuck with no financial means, with his mother being unable to provide much help due to her age, Eddiong sought the help of a team member of an NGO who promised to help him regain his freedom. “That day, I started to pray to God to help him so he could take me out of prison, and God answered my prayers. I was released in October last year. I’m so happy,” he added. Sunday PUNCH learnt that Eddiong was released alongside four other detainees from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre. The other inmates unjustly imprisoned for years were Nwekeala Chizoba, Innocent Lagbai, Gabriel, and Lokpia. Chizoba was said to have been awaiting trial in the correctional centre for over eight years. All of the inmates had been wrongly imprisoned without any documentation, which made the NGO’s legal team unable to locate the necessary courts that ordered their remand. Three other inmates – Samuel Justice, Victor Poko, and Sokoma- who had been awaiting trial for over six years were not charged in court because they had no files and the courts which remanded them could not be ascertained. “We persistently petitioned and reached out to key officials from Rivers State to Abuja. Eventually, we caught the attention of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Chief Judge of Rivers State. Noting our persistence, the Chief Judge made an unexpected visit to the prison to specifically inquire into the case and ordered their discharge. “We were at the Port Harcourt prison late into the day to ensure the administrative process for their release was completed. They are now free and being treated to decent care by our directors, with plans for rehabilitation and reunification with their families underway,” the Haven360 Foundation stated on its website. Indefinite detainment illegal – Lawyer Speaking on cases of individuals who were arrested and held in custody without a time limit, a lawyer, Cyril Ugonna, described such actions as an infringement of human rights and a slap in the face of the country’s justice system. “According to Section 35 of the Constitution, any person who is arrested or detained following the law must be brought before a court of law within 24 hours if a court of competent jurisdiction is within 40 km of the place of arrest. “The law also says that in any other case, the arrested person should be brought before a court within 48 hours. And if the person is not charged in court within this time, they must be released, either unconditionally or on bail. “Again, under Section 35 (1)(c ), it clearly states that a person can only be detained to bring them before a court based on reasonable suspicion of having committed a crime. Detaining suspects without charge or trial for an extended period, even in some cases, up to 10 years, is illegal and it should be frowned upon,” Ugonna told Sunday PUNCH. The lawyer decried delayed justice, which he described as a “disturbing problem” with the country’s legal system. “Section 35(4) mandates a trial within a reasonable time frame, after which the defendant must be freed. Holding detainees in custody for long, even for years, contributes to court and prison congestion,” Ugonna added. 16 years in Kirikiri On one night in June 2008, operatives of the now-defunct SARS unit barged into the home of Kazeem Adesina, a commercial driver in Sango Ota, Ogun State. The officers dragged Adesina out of his house, picked up other men from the area before they drove them all to the SARS office, which was in Ikeja. At the SARS office, Adesina and the other men who were rounded up were subjected to horrific torture.  According to him, his friend, Femi Olaniyan, who was arrested along with him, died in SARS custody after he was shot by the officers.  Not until the 53-year-old appeared in a courtroom did he realise that he was being tried for attempted armed robbery. “I didn’t even know most of the people they paired me with as case mates; they just grouped us to fit their narrative. We were remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prison after a brief appearance at the Magistrate’s Court in Ikeja. “I told the Magistrate I wasn’t a thief and didn’t know the other suspects, but she told me to put my hand down. That was the last time I saw a courtroom,” he said. Adesina’s mother, a street sweeper, struggled to secure bail for her son by selling some of her property, but there was no headway in the case as the months rolled into years. During his years in detention, Adesina’s wife passed away while his son, a dispatch rider, barely knew his father. Ten years later, Adesina was granted bail, but the lawyer who was tasked with his case did not inform him, and he continued to languish in unconstitutional detention. In 2022, team members of the Ray of Hope Prison Outreach learned of Adesina’s unfair detention and took up the case. They arranged a lawyer for him and worked together on the necessary paperwork to secure his release. Eventually, in July 2024, after 16 years behind bars, Adesina walked freely out of prison. Figures provided by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s pretrial detainees as of 2023 are many without proper legal representation.  According to the 2021 Annual Report by the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, the council is faced with very inadequate funding and human resources to cater for the demand for legal representation. It stated that about 80 per cent of inmates who need legal representation cannot have access to such, which has left many prisoners behind bars without good court representation. “For this reason, most NGOs mount vital legal assistance services for indigent prisoners to supplement the government’s efforts. Organisations such as the Prisoners’ Rights Advocacy Initiative, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, and Access to Justice are among those on the front line, lending counsel and admonitions, legal representation, and promotion of policy changes best ensuring access to justice,” a study published in the International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, stated. Why many inmates await trials Data provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime showed that in July 2025, Nigeria’s correctional centres held 81,686 inmates, with a significant portion, around 66 per cent, still awaiting trial. This figure of inmates still awaiting trial was lower than the figure presented a year ago in the same month. A chart published by Ray of Hope Prison Outreach last year showed that as of July 8, 2024, out of 82,895 inmates in Nigerian correctional centres, 69 per cent still awaited trial, while only 31 per cent were convicted. However, the Nigerian government, alongside organisations like the UNODC, has expressed its willingness to collaborate on reforms to improve conditions and reduce pre-trial detention. The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Anthony Ojukwu (SAN), decried the current state of the country’s correctional centres, which he said are overcrowded, under-resourced, and lack basic sanitation and healthcare. He described this as a reflection of a failure of infrastructure, justice, and humanity, adding that thousands of citizens are held in pre-trial detention for years due to poverty and lack of access to justice, while the rich have greater access to quality legal defense and bail, perpetuating systemic bias. Ojukwu urged the Nigerian government, judicial authorities, private sector, and civil society to prioritise comprehensive reforms in detention facilities and correctional centres, including improving conditions, investing in alternatives to pre-trial detention, ensuring speedy trials, and upholding the rights of inmates. Imprisoned for years On July 1, 2016, at just 18 years old, Abubakar Saidi’s life was stolen by injustice, one that left a deep scar on him. On that fateful day, Saidi was wrongfully arrested by police in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and thrown into prison. Without trial, formal charges, or evidence against him, Saidi endured incarceration for nine years, and he lost contact with his family in Kano State, who had assumed the worst. However, in August last year, he was set free after the court granted him an unconditional discharge. Garuba Yahaya (not his real name), suffered a similar fate in 2019, when he was wrongfully accused of kidnapping and arrested by the police. There were no formal charges filed against him, and his cries for help were ignored. For almost six years, Yahaya, who was 25 years old at the time he was imprisoned, was subjected to hardship and inhumane treatment ranging from starvation to assault to molestation. However, the tide changed towards good in his favour in May last year, when his case was taken up by a legal team from a non-profit organisation. Finally, on July 24, 2024, the court struck out the charges against Yahaya and ordered his discharge. The Executive Director of Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwanguma, lamented that law enforcement agencies abuse legal procedures as well as the legally stipulated safeguards against abuse of discretionary powers. “Many who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protests in August 2024 were subjected to arbitrary detentions without proper identification or cause by the arresting authorities, resembling abductions rather than lawful arrests. “Many were held incommunicado and denied access to family, legal representation, and medical care.” Nwanguma added, “Many persons in detention have no reason to be detained. The detention conditions and the exposure of young innocent persons to hardened criminals can negatively influence them. “Families are often uninformed and kept in the dark about the status, location, and conditions of detained individuals, exacerbating their suffering and compounding their distress. This is a flagrant violation of the due process safeguards provided under the Police Act 2020.” Lack of implementation Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Executive Director of Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development, Yusuf Nurudeen, blamed the unjust arrests and incarceration in correctional centres on a deliberate lack of implementation of the country’s law. He explained that from 2015 onward, Nigeria has continually and progressively made laws that are now in compliance with international best standards in terms of the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria. Citing the Lagos State enacted the Criminal Law of Lagos State and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, as well as the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019, Nurudeen noted that these laws have progressively made clear provisions of how people behind bars and forgotten could be carefully addressed. “We also have clear provisions of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, that were enacted to directly address the use of police brutality and the human rights of people who find themselves in connection with the police. “But the point is, most of these officers have been employed before these laws were enacted, but I have not seen a deliberate attempt made to interpret these laws to officers so they could understand them in the various services, and this gives us the problem of the implementation of the law. “For instance, the last Police Act that we had was enacted in 1943, which was 70 years before the Police Act 2020. So we now have officers who have been employed before this law was enacted, but there is no deliberate attempt to acclimatise them to the implementation of the law that establishes their operations and forms the fulcrum of their activities,” Nurudeen explained. Highlighting some solutions, he urged that a campaign for a full implementation of the law should begin. “There are several provisions in the Criminal Law of Lagos State of 2011 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, that even if you arrest a person, you must get details of that person, capture their faces and biometric data, and forward them to the Chief Judge of that state. “In the National Correctional Service Act, too, there are several provisions that say that once people are arrested and detained, the National Correctional Service in each state must compile the list of people in their custody and forward it to the Chief Judge of each state. The Chief Judge will now determine and describe what they are to do with that list. “These were deliberate attempts to see how our prisons will be decongested. We have similar provisions in the Police Act 2020, which says that the police must collect the data, process it and send it to the appropriate authorities for necessary actions to be taken. Sections 34 and 35 of the Criminal Justice Act require that magistrates should go to police stations within their jurisdictions and do so as frequently as possible. “This, again, will make the police accountable for the number of people that are held in their custody from time to time,” Nurudeen added.