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Tag: Correctional Centres

  • Jailbreak: FG to fortify nation’s correctional centres – Interior Minister

    Jailbreak: FG to fortify nation’s correctional centres – Interior Minister

    The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment toward fortifying the nation’s correctional centres against any external attack.

    The minister, who made this known during an inspection tour of Kuje Correctional Centre on Thursday in Abuja, stated that it was the resolve of the present administration to prioritise the fortification to forestall jailbreaks.

    Tunji-Ojo expressed delight about the ongoing rehabilitation work at the centre, which he described as a mark of seriousness on the part of any determined and serious government.

    “Compared to the last time when we came here and compare it with what is on ground now, no doubt it will go a long way to forestall any nature of external attack on this facility.

    “As you can see, the perimeter fencing is completed as well as the solar fittings on both sides of the fence to illuminate the facility for additional security.

    “So, basically, it’s not just about Kuje alone but it will be replicated to other correctional centres across the country.

    “Recall that in 2022 when this centre was attacked, everybody acknowledged the extent of the damage to our pride as Nigerians.

    “So, when we came on board, and since the former administration had already conceived the idea of fortifying the nation’s correctional centres, we immediately prioritised it.

    According to him, with President Bola Tinubu’s intervention fund, it enables us to achieve this feat so far. As you can see, am happy to tell you that about nine of our correctional centres are under rehabilitation right now.

    He expressed optimism that in no distant time, Kuje correctional centre would witness a complete turnaround that would be a model to others.

    “This is a pointer to the fact that the President cares about the security of Nigerians, about the inmates and making correctional centres correctional in nature and not condemnation centres.

    In a similar development, the minister, who also took a tour of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) Academy, promised to build the best and the most sophisticated fire academy in West Africa.

    This, he said, was to enable the service give the best training to its personnel to meet with the ever changing dynamics in fire fighting globally.

    “By the grace of God, on May 28, we will be having the ground breaking ceremony here with the completion period of just one year to be delivered.

    “We are bringing down lots of projects here and we are erecting modern fire academy that can be compared to the best you can get anywhere in the world.

    “As I always say, fire service is not just a profession or choice; it’s a mandatory profession that we must all encourage in our society.

    “This is because; the first priority of any government is to secure lives and property of its citizens. And you know one of the biggest threats to security of lives and property is fire.

    “Obviously, fire service is not just about fire, is about rescue service being the first render in case of any emergency,“he stressed.

  • FG spends N22.44bn on feeding 75,507 inmates

    FG spends N22.44bn on feeding 75,507 inmates

    The Federal Government is spending N22.44 billion in 2023 on the feeding of 75,507 inmates in correctional centres nationwide, an official said on Thursday in Abuja.

    The inmates are spread in 244 custodial centres nationwide, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore said during a High-level conference on corrections and decongestion of custodial centres.

    Belgore said that 70 percent of the inmates were awaiting trial.

    He attributed the high number of awaiting trial inmates to arbitrary arrests, delay in dispensing justice and inability to meet bail conditions.

    The permanent secretary said that the situation had led to the congestion of 82 custodial centres across the country.

    “The total number of male inmates are 73,821 and 1,686 are female inmates. Out of the 75,507 inmates, 52,436 are awaiting trial while 23,071 are convicted persons, with 3,322 as condemned inmates on death row.

    “The Federal Government budgeted N22.44 billion in the 2023 appropriation to cater for the feeding of inmates. Failure to take action to decongest the custodial centres will come at a cost.

    “The effects of overcrowding in the custodial centres have led to huge revenue drain for the Federal Government.

    “Dilapidation of the centres, criminalisation of the society and the inability to separate awaiting trial inmates from convicted persons,” he said.

    Belgore said there was need for holistic reform of the country’s correction system, including the modernisation of custodial centres for appropriate reformation and rehabilitation of inmates.

    He said that stakeholders have since emphasised the need to build new facilities and redesign the bail system.

    “I am of the view that the discourse at this conference should allocate more time to address speedy dispensation of justice to reduce number of inmates on awaiting trial.

    “In as much as the Ministry of Interior works tirelessly to accomplish the goal of achieving greater reduction of number of inmates across our custodial centres, we are determined to ensure that the correctional facilities provide not just a decent accommodation.

    “We also ensure that inmates acquire skills and knowledge to advance their integration into the society when they eventually regain freedom,” Belgore said.

    He said that the conference should propose efficient, effective and sustainable solutions to tackle congestion of custodial centres and effective implementation of non-custodial measures.

    The permanent secretary added that strategies should be devised to promote effective reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.

    Belgore said the role of the Federal and State Governments in correction of inmates should also be examined by the conference.

    “The statistics ratio of federal and state offenders is mind boggling and worrisome.

    “The federal offenders in the correctional facilities are far less than 10%, leaving the majority of over 90% to state offences,” he said.

    Belgore said that improved implementation of the criminal justice system and adoption of non-custodial measures would help in the decongestion of custodial centres across the nation.

  • Aregbesola tasks states on prisons decongestion

    Aregbesola tasks states on prisons decongestion

    The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has said states have a huge role to play in decongesting correctional centres.

    He pointed out that about 70 percent of inmates awaiting trial were state offenders.

    The minister called on states to either fast-track the trial of the inmates awaiting trial or build holding facilities for them. He said the Federal Government was ready to provide personnel that would man the facilities.

    Aregbesola, who spoke through his media aide, Sola Fasure, in an interview on Friday, expressed the readiness of the Federal Government to work with states in decongesting correctional centres.

    He stated, “The most important step in decongestion has to be taken by the states and this is where we should all be looking into. More than 70 per cent of inmates awaiting trials are state offenders.

    Aregbesola tasks states on correctional centres decongestion

    “The states can do either or both of two things. First, and more importantly, is accelerating the criminal trial process so that the cases are promptly dispensed with. Long and seemingly indeterminate trials are responsible for the disproportionate number of inmates awaiting trial.

    “In many of these cases, the inmates have spent more time in custody than they would have been punished for the offence they were charged with if they had received a guilty verdict in time. It is double jeopardy for them if they were found to be innocent in the end. The second is for the states to build holding facilities for awaiting trial inmates. We can provide the personnel to run them.”

    He said the custodial centres were only to house and take care of the inmates and that they lacked the power to free anyone in the facility.

    He added, “We cannot on our own bring anyone into custody and we cannot set them free. They come and go only through a valid court order. Our responsibility is to take good care of them and keep them safe while they are in our custody.”

    He said further that the Federal Government was currently working on providing more custodial services to decongest the facilities in addition to constructing new ones.

    Aregbesola tasks states on correctional centres decongestion

    He noted that the Nigerian Correctional Service was constructing six ultramodern custodial centres with 3,000 inmate capacity in each of the six geopolitical zones. He pointed out that when the facilities are completed, “we would have increased our capacity by 18,000 and this will go a long way in solving this challenge.”

    “The congestion conundrum in custodial facilities is basically an urban phenomenon. By implication, only facilities caught up by urbanisation are experiencing this conundrum. This means less than five per cent of the 253 custodial centres nationwide are congested.

    “Secondly, we are improving our logistics so as to quicken inmates’ court attendance and redistribute excess numbers in congested facilities to less congested facilities. Most of our custodial centres are located in semi-urban and rural areas and are actually filled below capacity. In the past six months, we have provided operational vehicles, with the most recent being for Armed Squad Commanders in all the commands nationwide,” he said.

  • Eid-el-Kabir: Gov. Ganduje grants pardon to 90 inmates in Kano

    Eid-el-Kabir: Gov. Ganduje grants pardon to 90 inmates in Kano

    90 inmates across Correctional Centres in Kano state have been granted pardon by Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje in celebration of the Holy Eid-el Kabir.

    A statement from the Kano Command of The Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr Musbahu Lawal, made this known on Saturday.

    It said that the inmates were pardoned and released based on various categories of offences.

    “About 77 inmates’ fines were settled and compensated while 10 inmates on Death Row (IDR) were also pardoned by the governor. “

    Amongst the10 on death row, three were sentenced to life imprisonment, including a female inmate, the statement said.

    The Correctional authority attested to the good behaviour and dedication of the freed inmates, towards their reformation programmes and had shown remorse for their crimes.

    The statement further revealed that in addition to the freedom, Ganduje offered them N5,000 each, to serve as transport fare.

    The Comptroller of Corrections, Kano State Command, Mr Sulaiman Inuwa, commended the governor on behalf of the Controller General of Corrections, Mr Haliru Nababa.

    He expressed appreciation to the governor for the relentless support and assistance to the command over time.

    Newsmen reports that since its inception, the Ganduje administration had made it a tradition to visit the correctional centres for the Sallah celebration.

    It was gathered that Ganduje donated cows, rams, and rice to the inmates, to celebrate the Eid.