HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE NIGERIAN PRISON SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF NIGER STATE PRISON

CHAPTER ONE GENERAL INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Prison system is one of the key components of Criminal Justice Administration as it the correctional institution where prisoners and convicts are kept after undergoing the processes of police investigation and trial by a court of law. The prison is responsible for the custody of the convicts and other inmates. The prison system entails putting in place measures to prevent escapes, such as erecting high walls or chain-link fence, placing armed guards, constant checks of cells, providing system of passes for movements with the prison, constant surveillance, and other measures to prevent escapes, riots, and so on¹.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) (as amended) vests in the Federal Government the control and administration of prisons². This power is generally exercisable by statutory instrument of the National Assembly. However, the Prisons Act and subsidiary legislations vests in the President of Nigeria power over the control, administration, security and welfare of prisoners.