President Bola Tinubu has approved the relocation of 29 correctional centres, also known as prisons, from urban areas across the country.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the commissioning of 39 mini Green Maria operational vehicles and five bullet-resistant guard booths at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
Speaking at the event, Tunji-Ojo highlighted the necessity of relocating correctional centres situated in inappropriate locations.
He cited examples such as Agodi in Ibadan, which is located in a bustling market area, Ikoyi, which shares a boundary with a golf course, and Enugu, which is positioned within the Government Reserved Area (GRA). Similar concerns were raised for custodial centres in Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt, and Suleja.
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The minister stressed that many of these facilities were over a century old and no longer met the required standards for housing inmates.
“I want to assure you that the process of relocating custodial centres has started, and we will ensure its completion,” he assured.
During the event, the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, revealed that the newly acquired 39 operational vehicles were procured to improve the safe and efficient transportation of inmates to and from courts.
He emphasized that the vehicles would be strategically distributed across NCoS commands based on operational demands.
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Nwakuche further stated that these vehicles would play a crucial role in reducing the backlog of Awaiting Trial Persons (ATP) in correctional facilities.
As of Monday, February 17, 2025, Nigeria’s total inmate population stood at 80,066, with 53,225 (66%) classified as pretrial detainees and 26,841 (34%) as convicted inmates.
In addition to the vehicles, five bullet-resistant guard booths were commissioned to fortify security at key correctional facilities.
These booths will be stationed at the National Headquarters in Abuja, the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje, and the Maximum Security Custodial Centres in Port Harcourt, Kano, and Lagos.
The Minister noted that these security enhancements were designed to safeguard custodial facilities from external attacks.
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The booths are equipped with long-range surveillance capabilities and can withstand high-caliber ammunition, including 12.7mm General Multi-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) rounds, as well as dynamite and explosive threats.
With these developments, the Nigerian government aims to modernize the correctional system, enhance security, and ensure a more efficient judicial process for inmates across the country.
