FG Commences Prison Decongestion, Frees First Batch Of Inmates

By Ayodele Oni

The first batch of beneficiaries under the Federal Government’s gesture to pay fines for some inmates at  Correctional Centres were on Saturday set free.

Beneficiaries, numbering 4,068, serving various sentences with option of fines were freed.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who performed the symbolic release of the inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja, said this was in a bid to decongest custodial centres across the country and make them humane for proper reformation and rehabilitation of offenders to take place.

He lamented that as of yesterday Friday, November 17, 2023, there were about 80,804 inmates in 253 custodial facilities nationwide, and the total installed capacity for the 253 custodial centres adds up to less than 50,000.

Tunji-Ojo called for reform in the criminal justice administration to allow for speedy dispensation of justice, pointing out that a large number of inmates in custodial centres are awaiting trial.

According to him, the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, where 37 of the beneficiary inmates were released, has the installed capacity to hold 560 inmates, but currently, a total of 730 inmates are being held in the Custodial Centre. He added that out of the 730 inmates, 565 of them are awaiting trial.

“This shows that our custodial facilities are overcrowded, necessitating this initiative we are flagging off today, which is targeted towards addressing the overcrowding conundrum bedevilling our custodial centres and their reformatory functions.

“Today, we flag off the release of a total of 4,068 inmates who are serving different terms of imprisonment in lieu of fines and/or compensation.”

Tunji-Ojo explained that most of the inmates being granted freedom are indigents who could not afford to pay their fines and have been languishing in custody.

The Minister disclosed that the sum of N585,000,000.00 was raised by philanthropic individuals, groups, and corporate bodies as part of their corporate social responsibility for the purpose of releasing the inmates.

“Hence, all inmates in custodial centres who have fines and/or compensation not exceeding one million naira (N1,000,000.00) are qualified and would benefit from this gesture.

“In addition, we are also providing each of them a stipend to enable them to return to their communities.”

Tunji-Ojo charged the benefiting inmates to see their freedom as a second chance to make things right again, advising them to stay off crime and criminality, saying all must join hands with President Tinubu to make Nigeria a great nation.

He disclosed that the federal government ensured that the beneficiary inmates were given requisite training aimed at impacting their lives functionally and equipping them with the knowledge for their self-reliance upon discharge, stressing that the government was not just releasing them to their fates.

He noted that the training also covers their civic duties and responsibilities as citizens and strategies for refraining from committing other crime.