A non-governmental organization, Zarephath Aid, yesterday, raised concerns over the alarming number of pretrial inmates in the nation’s correctional facilities, which it describes as a failure of the criminal justice system.

This alarm came as the world marks Human Rights Day. Speaking during a media briefing, Ben Abraham, the organization’s founder, stated that approximately 80% of inmates in Nigeria’s correctional centres are awaiting trial.

This situation, he said, directly contravene the principles of human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations 76 years ago.

“Human rights are fundamental and in trinsic to our humanity,” Abraham noted, just as he added that, “Yet, in Nigeria, delayed trials are effectively adjudging many individuals guilty without giving them an opportunity to defend themselves. This is unacceptable.”