PRE-TRIAL DETENTION: AN ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO PRISON CONGESTION IN NIGERIA -A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Pre-trial  detention  is  the  temporary  custodial  restraint  of  persons  apprehended for  committing  crime,  pending  investigation  and  trial.  Pre-trial  detainees  are remanded  in  police  cells,  prison  or  anyother  place  of  confinement  pending  the conclusion of police investigations and sometimes pending the outcome of trial by court  of  law  on  such  matter.This  pre-trial  detention  in  the  prison  can  be indefinite and sometimes for up wards of ten years. It is therefore the objective of this work to show how pre-trial detention on the Nigerian prisons has contributed in  no  small  measure  to  the  congestion  in  the  Nigerian  prison.  The  condition  of Nigerian  prisons  will  also  be  discussed.  Research  methods  for  this  work  will include the following; analytical, comparative, primary and secondary.