The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said that a significant proportion of inmates in correctional centres across Africa are incarcerated for minor offences that should not attract custodial sentences. He stated that between 30 and 50 per cent of offences committed by inmates do not warrant imprisonment, stressing that the situation has contributed to persistent congestion in correctional facilities.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Regional Conference on the Classification of Prisoners and the Use of Technology in Prisons in Africa, held in Abuja, Tunji-Ojo urged correctional authorities to critically examine the true causes of overcrowding in their facilities. According to him, many inmates are serving time for minor infractions that could have been addressed through non-custodial measures.
The minister disclosed that 93 per cent of inmates in Nigeria’s correctional centres are state offenders, while only seven per cent are federal offenders. He explained that shortly after assuming office, he directed officials to compile records of inmates held over fines and compensation of less than ₦500,000, revealing that more than 4,000 inmates fell into that category. Their release, he noted, reduced congestion in correctional centres by about five per cent in a single day.
Tunji-Ojo also highlighted improvements in Nigeria’s correctional rehabilitation programmes, revealing that the number of repeat offenders dropped sharply from about 13,000 cases in 2023 to 1,000 last year. He attributed the decline to expanded access to education and vocational training, noting that dozens of inmates are pursuing postgraduate and undergraduate studies, while thousands are enrolled in formal education and vocational skills programmes through National Open University centres established within correctional facilities.
Also speaking at the conference, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, said reforms under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, have strengthened inmate classification and rehabilitation efforts. He described effective prisoner classification as essential for managing security risks, protecting vulnerable inmates and delivering targeted rehabilitation, adding that the conference provides African correctional services with an opportunity to exchange ideas and develop collective solutions to common challenges.
