Federal Government To Spend N22.4 Billion On The Feeding Of Inmates Nationwide This Year

Federal government is to spend N22.4 billion on the feeding of inmates of custodial centres nationwide this year.

Interior ministry’s permanent secretary, Shuaib Belgore announced this at a conference on prison admnistration and congestion in Abuja.

He said fund has been provided in the 2023 budget for the feeding bill.

Also speaking at the event, the assistant comptroller general of Nigeria correctional services, Gimba Dumbulwa, said there were 75,436 inmates in the 244 custodial centers in the country as at May 9, 2023.

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He said that 52,446 out of the inmates were awaiting trial, 23, thousand and 71 were convicts,while 3,332 are on the death row.

The assistant comptroller general said over 70 percent of the inmates had overstayed in custody due to lateness in sentencing them and keeping them for more than normal time.

According to the interior ministry chief, prison overcrowding has led to a huge revenue drain for the regime, including the dilapidation of prisons, criminalisation of society and the inability to separate awaiting trial inmates from convicted ones.

Mr Belgore said there was a need for holistic reform of the country’s correction system, including modernising custodial centres for appropriate reformation and rehabilitation of inmates. He said stakeholders have since emphasised the need to build new facilities and redesign the bail system.

“I am of the view that the discourse at this conference should allocate more time to address speedy dispensation of justice to reduce the number of inmates awaiting trial. Inasmuch as the ministry of interior works tirelessly to accomplish the goal of achieving a greater reduction of the number of inmates across our custodial centres, we are determined to ensure that the correctional facilities provide not just a decent accommodation,” the official explained.

Mr Belgore added, “We also ensure that inmates acquire skills and knowledge to advance their integration into society when they eventually regain freedom.”