?The House of Representatives on Thursday, directed its relevant committees to conduct public hearing on the huge number of persons awaiting trial in Nigerian prisons.
The relevant committees are committees on Interior, Justice and Judiciary.
This resolution followed a motion by Rep. Daniel Akpan (PDP-Awka/Ibom), which was unanimously adopted when put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Emeka Ihedioha.
Moving the motion earlier, Akpan noted that there was large number of? persons awaiting trial in Nigerian prisons, adding that presently, the inmates' population in the nation’s prisons stood at 73,670, while those awaiting trial was 36,217.
Akpan in a motion entitled ‘’Need to Look Into the Large Population of Persons Awaiting Trial in Our Prisons,’’ said the awaiting trial inmates constituted about 50 per cent of the inmates in the country’s prisons.
The lawmaker alleged that the large population of persons awaiting trial in prisons was due to gross dislocation and inefficiency in the linkages of the roles and responsibilities of the institutions saddled with administering criminal justice in Nigeria.
He expressed worry that the majority of persons awaiting trial were of productive age group ‘’ who waste away in our penal institutions. ’’
Akpan expressed concern that these categories of persons were most times locked up with high-profile criminals who joined criminal gangs while awaiting trial.
The motion was referred to the Committees on Interior, Justice and Judiciary for further legislative inputs.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers passed a bill for an Act to establish the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of Nigeria.
The bill brought by the majority leader , Rep. Mulikat Adeola-Akande, seeks to provide for a system of control of the institute's membership to promote and foster the practise of arts and science management accountancy in the country. (NAN)