The Federal Government has said it will speed action on the immediate completion of at least three out of the six 3,000-capacity mega correctional centers dispersed throughout the geographical zones as part of measures to ease the congestion in the country’s prisons.
The project will boost the capacity of Nigerian prisons approximately 9,000 places.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the interior minister, made this announcement on Monday in Abuja during an inspection trip of a facility in the Federal Capital Territory’s Karshi area.
The maximum prisoner capacity for all of Nigeria’s national prisons is 57, 278.
However, according to the most recent count, there were 68,747 convicts overall, consisting of 67,422 men and 1,325 women.
Aregbesola stated these things following the tour:
“By this, we hope to be able to complete this project in Karshi, the one in Kano and the one in Bori, Rivers state.
“When we are able to do that, it will reduce the stress on our other facilities and also enhance the administration of justice”.
The project is in continuation of the implementation of Nigerian Correctional Service reform which was approved by the Federal Executive Council in May 2017.
On the design of the project, the Controller General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa said it includes a maximum security custodial centre – for long and high risk inmates – and a medium security custodial centre – for medium term and minor offenders.
According to him, there would be two court rooms for a High Court and a Magistrate Court for easy dispensation of cases; standard workshops/vocational centres; classrooms, hospital, places of worship for both Christians and Muslims, recreational centres, shopping centre, guest house, club house and a host of other facilities.
