KEY POINTS
- As Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo makes promises to reduce prison population by moving federal prisoners and adopting non-incarceration approaches to sentencing.
- The Independent Investigative Panel conducts an investigation to detect corruption along with legal violations throughout the correctional service.
- A National Paramilitary Academy received approval from the Federal Executive Council to advance training development and welfare conditions for correctional service personnel.
The Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has vowed to reduce prison population at custodial centres within the Nigerian Correctional Service reform initiative.
During the second public hearing of the Independent Investigative Panel about correctional system corruption at Abuja he made this promise.
According to minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo the population of awaiting trial prisoners amounts to 65 percent and this data explains the prison surge. The minister presented a strategy that involves transferring federal inmates to less busy correctional centers and implementing broader non-incarcerative court penalties.
Reasons to reduce prison population
The population density in multiple correctional facilities reaches dangerous levels resulting in adverse overcrowding. The capacity utilization of different facilities ranges from twenty to forty percent to two hundred percent and beyond. Inmate distribution needs realignment in order to establish equality between correctional institutions he declared.
The minister declared during the meeting that the Federal Executive Council authorized the establishment of a National Paramilitary Academy to train correctional officers for enhanced welfare and improved living conditions and better training programs.
Panel investigates allegations of misconduct
Dr. Magdalene Ajani both leads the NCoS investigative panel and holds the position of Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior. He praised the minister for maintaining justice and transparency throughout NCoS operations.
During the initial public hearing Dr. Magdalene Ajani discovered that authorities needed to address severe issues about poor inmate treatment alongside facility management inadequacies and violations of ethical practices. The investigative panel gathered information to create essential long-term reform foundations.
The protection of human rights functions inside correctional facilities depends on collaborative support from the National Human Rights Coalition together with UNICEF and civil society organizations according to her statement.
NCoS pledges transparency in investigation
Acting Controller General Sylvester Nwakuche gave NCoS full support to the panel through his commitment to address the accusations. He requested that staff members and stakeholders generate essential feedback because their input will determine Nigeria’s correctional system’s direction.
