Severe overcrowding at the Jalingo Custodial Centre has forced more than 250 inmates to sleep on mats on the floor, as the facility struggles to house more than double its intended capacity.
Gabriel Olayinka, Chief Executive Officer of Taraba News and SUM TV, revealed the conditions based on his personal experience as a former inmate at the facility. Mr. Olayinka made the disclosures during a courtesy visit by the newly elected executive members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Jalingo Branch, led by Chairman Daniel Saredau.
According to Olayinka, the centre was designed to accommodate 250 inmates but currently holds over 500. Approximately 80 percent of the population consists of awaiting-trial inmates, some of whom have spent between five and eight years in custody without their cases being concluded. “The overcrowding is so severe that more than 250 inmates have no proper sleeping spaces,” Olayinka stated, warning that the unsanitary conditions pose grave health risks to the incarcerated population.
Olayinka highlighted key structural bottlenecks driving the congestion, including chronic delays in securing legal advice from the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He also pointed to the practice of magistrate courts remanding accused persons for offenses over which the courts lack trial jurisdiction, leaving detainees stranded in custody while legal processes stall. Calling for urgent judicial reforms, Olayinka urged the NBA to prioritize decongestion and speed up the administration of criminal justice in Taraba State.
In response, NBA Jalingo Branch Chairman Daniel Saredau acknowledged the crisis and announced plans for a stakeholders’ roundtable to address systemic failures in the justice sector. Saredau noted that his administration, which assumed office two months ago, has already engaged the Chief Judge of Taraba State, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and heads of security agencies.
Saredau outlined a 12-point agenda for his two-year tenure, focusing on human rights advocacy, law reform, Bar-Bench relations, and the digitalization of the legal system. He also revealed that several state laws—some untouched for over three decades—are currently undergoing review. Taraba State has long struggled with prolonged pre-trial detention. In November 2025, 13 inmates held between one and six years without trial were released following legal intervention. More recently, in March, the Chief Judge reviewed 35 awaiting-trial cases at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Wukari to help ease facility congestion.
