The federal government through the Ministry of Interior, has announced the release of 4,068 inmates with an option of fine and compensation nationwide.
Nigeriacrime.com learned that inmates qualified are those who do not have fines/compensations exceeding N1 million only.
Interior Minister, Dr. Olobunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this disclosure at the flag-off of the release of 4,068 inmates with an option of fine/compensation nationwide, held at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja.
The Minister noted that the release of the inmates was in a bid to decongest Custodial Centres and make them humane for proper reformation and rehabilitation of offenders to take place.
According to him, “As of yesterday, the 17th day of November 2023, there were about 80,804 inmates in 253 custodial facilities nationwide, which total installed capacity for the 253 Custodial Centres adds up to less than 50,000. This shows that our Custodial facilities are over-crowded; necessitating this initiative we are flagging off today, which is targeted towards addressing the overcrowding conundrum bedevilling our Custodial Centres and their reformatory function.
“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. Most of the benefitting inmates on the verge of their freedom are indigents who cannot afford to pay their fines and are languishing in custody. The sum of Five Hundred and Eighty-five Million Naira only (N585,000,000.00) was raised by philanthropic individuals, groups and corporate bodies, as part of their corporate social responsibility, for this purpose.
“Hence, all inmates in Custodial Centres who have fines and/or compensation not exceeding One Million Naira only (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”.
The Minister also noted that all inmates who would be released across custodial centres would be provided a stipend to enable them to function in their various communities. He further stated that the inmates have been given requisite training aimed at impacting their lives functionally and equipping them with the knowledge for their self-reliance upon discharge.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed that as of today (18th November, 2023), the Kuje correctional facility which was built to retain a capacity of 560, now holds a capacity of 730 of which 565 await trial.
He said, “Today, with the record I have been given, this Kuje facility was built with a capacity of 560 but today, we have 730. So it shows that we need to improve our administration of criminal justice.
“Of this, 565 out of the 730 are still awaiting trials, that is a huge percentage. We are working on innovative ideas to see how for non-violent awaiting trials, solutions that we can create that do not entail custodial centres. We must be innovative”.
Tunji-Ojo vowed to ensure correctional centres do not become condemnation centres but reformatory and rehabilitative centres. “Our centres must be reformatory, and rehabilitative and must protect the dignity of the inmates. This we hope will lead them to be better citizens when they are out of this place” he stated.
The Interior Minister called on Nigerians to embrace the ‘returning citizens’ with open arms and cautioned against stigmatisation as this he said may drive them back to offend the law, which he noted will further endanger the country. He also told the freed inmates to be of good behaviour and work towards building a better Nigeria.
Speaking in the same vein, the Controller General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa, said overcrowding had been a bane in correctional facilities across Nigeria and that the initiative was strategic in reducing the numbers.
He said, “Overcrowding in most of our Custodial Centres, especially those in metropolitan areas has been a perennial challenge to the Service. The payment of fine/compensation for indigent inmates with such options is not only philanthropic but strategic in reducing the number of persons in custody”.