Niger Prison Officials Transport Inmates to Court in Tricycles 

Awaiting-trial inmates at the Minna Old Custodial Centre in Niger State now travel to court in tricycles and commercial vehicles because the official correctional vehicles have broken down.

An investigation by The Guardian revealed that the two available green Black Maria vehicles used to move inmates have been out of service for about two years.

The breakdown has forced correctional officials to use Keke NAPEP, commercial vehicles and, in some cases, an official ambulance to take inmates to court.

Inmates Taken to Court by Keke

The grounded Black Maria vehicles once served as the main means of transporting awaiting-trial inmates to more than 35 courts within and outside Minna, the state capital.

With the vehicles no longer working, officials now search for alternatives whenever inmates need to appear in court.

A source close to one of the facilities described the situation as troubling, saying officials have no choice because the inmates must attend court.

“We are in a serious mess since the green maria parked up. We have to convey them to court with alternative means,” the source said.

The source added that officials sometimes hire tricycle operators to move inmates to court within Minna.

Officials Also Use Ambulance for Court Movement

The investigation also found that officials now use the only available ambulance to transport inmates to court.

The ambulance should ordinarily serve sick inmates who need hospital care, but the lack of Black Maria vehicles has forced officials to use it for court movement.

This raises serious concerns about security, inmate welfare and emergency response inside the correctional facility.

Moving inmates in public or poorly secured vehicles can put correctional officers, inmates and the public at risk.

Water Tanker Also Broke Down

The transport crisis is not the only problem at the facility.

The report also showed that the only functioning water tanker at the Minna Old Medium Security Custodial Centre stayed out of use for about three years because it had no tyres.

Officials reportedly left the tanker propped up on stones until the Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, intervened in March 2026 by buying four tyres for it.

Before the intervention, inmates reportedly fetched water from public boreholes in Minna after the only working borehole inside the custodial centre dried up.

Old Vehicles Create More Trouble

Former Niger State governor, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, bought two green Black Maria vehicles for correctional centres in 2016.

Years later, the vehicles no longer serve their purpose.

Their breakdown has left correctional officials improvising with tricycles, commercial vehicles and an ambulance.

The situation also exposes a larger problem in Nigeria’s correctional system. Many awaiting-trial inmates must appear in court regularly, but some facilities lack the vehicles and basic logistics needed to move them safely.

NCoS Confirms Situation

The spokesperson for the Niger State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Rabiu Shuaibu Mohammed, confirmed the situation.

He appealed to individuals and corporate organisations in Niger State to donate functional green Black Maria vehicles to help the command move inmates safely to court.

His appeal shows how urgent the problem has become.

Without proper vehicles, inmate movement becomes harder, less secure and more embarrassing for a correctional system already under pressure.

Why This Matters

This is not just about broken vehicles.

It is about the justice system.

When correctional officers cannot move inmates to court safely, trials can suffer delays. When trials suffer delays, awaiting-trial inmates may spend longer in custody.

The Minna case shows how basic failures, such as broken vehicles, a grounded water tanker and poor logistics, can create bigger problems for justice, security and human dignity.

For a correctional system already dealing with overcrowding and many awaiting-trial inmates, functional transport should not be a luxury.

It is a basic requirement.