By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal High Court in Jalingo has discharged and acquitted 13 inmates who spent between one and six years in detention at the Taraba State Correctional Service without trial. Their release followed separate fundamental rights suits filed on their behalf by human rights lawyer Barrister John Nkemnagum Okezie, who represented them pro bono.
Justice Maskur Salisu ruled on Monday that the prolonged detention of the inmates by the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services was unconstitutional and a violation of their rights to liberty and fair hearing. He described the conduct of the security agencies as “reprehensible and unlawful.”
The judgment, enforced on November 3, 2025, has been hailed by human rights advocates as an important affirmation of the judiciary’s role in protecting civil liberties and holding law enforcement accountable.
Speaking after the ruling, Okezie said his intervention was driven by the need to decongest overcrowded prisons and ensure that justice is accessible to everyone, regardless of financial status. He encouraged the freed inmates to embrace their second chance and avoid actions that could return them to custody.
Some of the released men expressed deep gratitude, saying they would still be languishing in prison without the lawyer’s assistance.
Legal and human rights groups have welcomed the judgment as a reminder of the courts’ constitutional duty to safeguard citizens’ freedoms and check abuses of power.
