…Backs interior ministry’s correctional reforms_
The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has adduced reasons for the release of about 90 percent of inmates in Nigerian correctional centres.
PeacePro stated that its position is predicated on the established fact that the majority of inmates were awaiting trial or incarcerated for offences that did not justify prolonged imprisonment.
It further stated that recent disclosure by the Interior minister that 93 percent of inmates are state offenders while only 7 percent are federal offenders provides compelling evidence that Nigeria’s correctional crisis is primarily a challenge for the criminal justice system rather than one of prison capacity.
It also said that based on lawful and evidence based criminal justice reforms and recent disclosures by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the long-standing advocacy for comprehensive prison decongestion has been reinforced.
It also emphasised that in 2021, when the Federal Government proposed releasing 30 percent of prison inmates to address congestion, it urged the government to increase the figure to 70 percent.
A statement by the Executive Director of PeacePro, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, expressed the readiness of PeacePro’s to partner with the Federal Ministry of Interior and other relevant institutions in developing sustainable prison decongestion policies to strengthen justice, rehabilitation, and public safety.
Hamzat therefore called on state governors, chief judges, attorneys general, the Nigerian Correctional Service, and other criminal justice institutions to work together on a nationwide review of custodial cases to ensure that imprisonment is reserved for offenders who genuinely pose a threat to public safety.
The PeacePro Executive Director particularly commended the Minister of Interior for ordering an audit of inmates detained over minor fines and compensation judgments shortly after assuming office.
He noted that the exercise identified more than 4,000 inmates whose continued detention cost the government far more than the value of their fines, leading to an immediate five percent reduction in the prison population.
Hamzat described the reform as a practical demonstration that many inmates should never have been incarcerated in the first place.
He further said; “The Minister has courageously asked the most important question; are our correctional centres rightfully overcrowded? His own findings that a significant proportion of inmates are imprisoned for offences that do not warrant incarceration validate PeacePro’s position that Nigeria must fundamentally rethink its approach to criminal justice”.
PeacePro also applauded the Interior Minister’s disclosure that recidivism has fallen significantly following expanded access to education and vocational training within correctional facilities, describing the development as proof that rehabilitation is more effective than excessive incarceration.
Hamzat however, explained that the recommendation of PeacePro does not seek the indiscriminate release of dangerous criminals, saying that instead, it advocated a comprehensive review of inmates awaiting trial, persons detained for minor and non-violent offences, those unable to perfect bail because of poverty, and offenders eligible for non custodial measures such as community service, probation, restorative justice, and fines.
“The future of Nigeria’s correctional system lies not in building more prisons but in building a smarter, fairer, and more effective justice system. A nation is judged not by how many people it imprisons, but by how fairly it administers justice,” Hamzat said.
