Posted by Chinenye on Fri 04th Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
Justice has hit a troubling roadblock in Akwa Ibom, where dozens of inmates are reportedly unable to face the courts because of a basic problem no correctional facility should have.
(Court. Photo by Punch News)
Forty-six inmates awaiting trial at a correctional centre in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, are unable to attend their court hearings because the facility has no working vehicles to transport them to the courts.
The situation has become so dire that authorities have resorted to hiring commercial buses from local transportation parks, a practice that raises serious security and trust concerns.
The Officer-in-Charge of the Medium Security Correctional Centre, Chief Superintendent Samuel Bassey, revealed the challenge when media professionals from the area visited the facility.
Some of the inmates, he explained, were brought to the centre from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area as far back as 2023 but have never appeared in court because there is no means of getting them there.
Bassey questioned how justice could possibly be served when inmates cannot be produced before judges.
The facility's jurisdiction spans nine local government areas with eighteen courts spread across the region, making transportation an absolute necessity for the system to function.
All of the centre's vehicles are either broken down or beyond repair, leaving staff without the operational capacity to move inmates safely and securely.
The officer-in-charge disclosed that multiple letters requesting operational vehicles have been sent to authorities at various levels, but none have received responses.
He appealed directly to federal and state governments, corporate organisations, non-governmental groups and philanthropists to step in, describing the situation as deeply worrisome for both inmates and staff alike.
The last vehicle donated to the centre came during the tenure of former Akwa Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio, who now serves as President of the Senate.
Beyond transportation, the facility faces serious infrastructure problems.
Heavy rains across Nigeria's southern region have deteriorated several roofs, leaving inmates exposed to harsh weather with no way for staff to fix the damage independently.
Bassey noted, however, that the Federal Government is providing adequate feeding for inmates while trained medical professionals operate the facility's clinic.
A media group that visited the centre proposed establishing partnerships to provide legal services to unrepresented inmates and to train them in vocational skills aimed at helping them reintegrate into society after their release.
During tours of the facility, the visitors also observed the poor condition of residential quarters for correctional officers and called on authorities to improve working conditions and accommodation so staff can perform their duties effectively.