About 67 per cent of inmates in correctional facilities across Nigeria are awaiting trial, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has revealed.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Thursday, Tunji-Ojo stressed that strong cooperation between the federal and state governments is vital for improving correctional services.
“States are legally entitled to have their own correctional centres, just as the federal government is. However, around 72 per cent of inmates are state offenders, and about 67 per cent are awaiting trial,” he explained.
“This means two-thirds are state offenders, but the federal government is bearing the responsibility. I do not like shifting blame. As the President always says, ‘We were elected to deliver results, not to make excuses.’ We will work with governors to develop a shared strategy to address these problems,” he added.
In July, the minister announced that the federal government had released 4,550 offenders as part of efforts to decongest correctional centres. The release followed a review focusing on inmates held for minor, bailable offences and those with prolonged detention.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised that President Bola Tinubu’s administration remains committed to improving correctional facilities nationwide, despite the poor state in which they were found in 2023.
“This administration has invested significant resources over the last two years to fix our correctional centres,” he said.
His comments came shortly after 16 inmates escaped from the Keffi custodial centre in Nasarawa State by overpowering security officers. Some of the escapees were later recaptured.