There is an 89.3 per cent overcrowding of Custodial Centres in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Keffi Commands of the Nigerian Correctional Service, underscoring the challenge of congestion of Custodial Centres in the country.
This was contained in an audit report presented by a team of investigators on Thursday in Abuja at the Public Hearing of the Investigative Panel on Corruption and Other Violations against the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The public hearing was presided over by the Secretary of the Investigative Panel, Dr. Uju Agomoh.
Recall that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo had inaugurated the Independent Investigative Panel on the alleged corruption, abuse of power, torture, and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment against the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani who is the Chairperson of the Investigative Panel, declared open the two-day public hearing held at Fraser Suites Abuja.
While welcoming stakeholders to the Public Hearing, she recalled that the first part of the report of the Investigative Panel was submitted earlier to the Federal Government to address some pressing national issues concerning the services of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
According to her, because of the reforms the Ministry of Interior is trying to undertake in the Nigerian Correctional Service, the investigative committee is meant to be working for over a year.
“We have made calls for submissions from the public on the activities of the Nigerian Correctional Service. This is the first public hearing for people to be able to address the committee on issues relating to the service,” she stated.
While presenting its Audit report the FCT Team, group revealed that one of the major challenges facing the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), is the overcrowding of Custodial Centres with awaiting trial inmates.
The report indicated that currently, there was the overcrowding of Custodial Centres in FCT and Keffi in Nasarawa State, by at least 89.3 per cent of the inmate population, with most of them pre-trial inmates.
Some of the findings of the group, which visited the custodial centres and interacted with the Prison officers and inmates, were delayed in the dispensation of justice, most inmates lacked legal representation, and poor feeding among others.
The group, therefore, recommended an increase in budgetary allocation of inmates feeding from the contract price of N750 to N3,000 per unit per day, because of the inflation rate.
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