The Digest:
The Minna Old Custodial Centre in Niger State is transporting inmates to court in tricycles and commercial vehicles due to a lack of functional green Black Maria vehicles, The Guardian reported. The only two operational green Black Marias have remained broken down for the past two years without repair. The Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, purchased four tyres for the only functioning water tanker at the facility in March 2026, which had been out of use for three years. An official confirmed the situation and appealed for donations of functional Black Maria vehicles.
Key Points:
- Inmates awaiting trial face undignified and unsafe transport to court.
- The only ambulance is now used for inmate transport instead of medical emergencies.
- The water tanker had been propped on stones for three years without tyres.
- Inmates had been fetching water from public boreholes before the Chief Judge intervened.
- The NCoS spokesperson appealed to individuals and organisations for vehicle donations.
Sources: The Guardian, The Cable
