Statistics shows that a total number of sixty five thousand, nine hundred and forty four (65,944) are currently in various prison across Nigeria. Seventy two percent (72%) which represent 47,599 are awaiting trial.
Nigeria prison has a total number of sixty eight thousand (68,000) bed spaces scattered across the prison formation.
This disclosure was made by the spokesman of the Nigeria Prison service (NPS), Francis Enobore,in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Abuja.
“The number of prison inmates we have in our custody nationwide as at 25th july 2016 is 65,944. This is made up of 47,599 which represent 72%of the total inmate population as those awaiting trial. These are pre-trial detainees.
“Those whose cases are still pending in various courts we have 18,345 which is about 28% of the total inmates’ population as those whose cases have been decided.
These are convicted criminals. You may wish to note that 2% of the entire prisoner population are female while 98%are male.
“Nigeria Prison Service today it might interest you to know that we have close to 68,000 bed spaces or more appropriately intake capacity nationwide. If you juxtapose this with inmate population which I told you is 65,944 you may have the impression that the prison in under populated but then the truth remains that you hear of over congestion in theprisons”.
The problem of prisons congestion is urban related as most of the detainees are awaiting trial inmates, and since their fate has not been decided by a court, the Controller General (CG) cannot effect their transfer to a semi urban or rural prisons who have fewer inmates so as not to run into logistics problem when it’s time to present them in court.
In tackling the problem of congestion in our prisons, the NPS, is presently construction a new prison in Niger state which is targeted at reducing the from Kuje and suleja prisons and other neighbouring prisons.
“There is a prison that is under construction. The CG immediately he came on board went on an inspection tour to that facility and any moment from now, we will be occupying the place and putting it to use.
“The location of the prison under construction is in Suleja. Suleja new prison. That one is targeted at reducing the pressure from Kuje prison and suleja prison and of course the neighbouring prisons that are experiencing congestion, we can easily draft some there. Enobore said.
The NPS spokesperson expressing optimism said,the criminal justice act when fully operational,will help in prison decongestion because it will help in reducing the number of persons that will be coming to the prison.
“It has not become fully operational in the sense that there are so many components of the criminal justice act that we need to activated before we can begin to reap bountifully from the provision of the act.
“We are just praying that by the time this justice Act becomes operational some other shortcomings are addressed. We will be able to gradually change the equation present in such a way that we will have prisoners that are convicted to be deployed to the various training centres at that point the prison can truly be a reformative and rehabilitation centre.
Stella Enenche
