The Tunji Braithwaite Foundation has called on concerned stakeholders within the justice system to urgently intervene to secure the release of those who have been awaiting trials for years without being found guilty by a competent court of law.

It, however, warned that their continued detention could persist indefinitely if urgent steps are not taken.

The Foundation noted that the correctional centres are filled with thousands of awaiting trial detainees that are unjustly incarcerated and subjected to daily hardship, highlighting the deepening crisis and systemic decay within the country’s justice system.

Executive Director of the Foundation, Olaoluwa Braithwaite, while speaking with journalists in Lagos, yesterday, during a media briefing themed: “The Crisis of Delayed Justice: Breaking the Silence,” described the situation as a “crisis of delayed justice” that continues to strip thousands of Nigerians of their constitutional rights.

She said that these individuals on awaiting trial were victims of lost case files, missing investigating police officers, and bail conditions that mock their economic reality.

“Imagine being arrested for not using the overhead bridge to cross the Expressway and being unable to pay a fine of N20,000 and finally ending up spending five years in prison. This is the silence we must break,” she said.

Braithwaite, who disclosed that the Foundation would hold a ‘March of Silence’ to demand urgent intervention for thousands of detainees held without trial, said that the march, scheduled for Friday, June 26, 2026, forms part of activities to mark the 10th anniversary of Dr Braithwaite’s transition and coincides with the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

The executive director of the Foundation said that the commemorative event, designed to honour the silenced, would begin with an outreach to Ikoyi Custodial Centre, spotlighting the grim reality of the Nigerian criminal justice system.

She noted that the choice of the Ikoyi Correctional Centre underscores the severity of overcrowding and the high number of detainees yet to be convicted.

The Foundation said it would submit a formal petition to the state’s Chief Judge, outlining key demands aimed at improving access to justice, accelerating judicial processes, and promoting humane correctional practices.