The Federal Government will soon commence “inmate audit” across the 256 correctional centres in the country, the Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has hinted.
According to Ojo, the planned sanitization of the facility would also entail relocating Ikoyi prison and some of other prisons from urban centres in the country to other areas and freeing those who don’t have any business being in prison in the first instance.
While justifying reasons for the move in a recent interview, the minister said urbanization has eaten into the setbacks that ought to be around correctional centres in the country.
President Bola Tinubu, according to him inherited so many old correctional centres that need attention, saying the government has started the renovation and rebuilding of some of the prisons in Nigeria.
“We’ve renovated over 10 correctional centres under this administration,” he said, adding that the government has done “magic in the Kuje correctional centre,” he added. 0:00 / 1:07.
“Under this administration, we’ve not had any jail attack; what we’ve had was force majeure which was Suleja because that particular correctional centre was built in 1914. It’s about 110 years old.
“President Tinubu inherited 256 correctional centres that needed attention. There is no way he would have completely overhauled it in one year.
“I must talk about urbanisation. Look at Suleja, for example, the Suleja correctional centre that came down was only 7 metres away from the next house. Instead of what the law says which is a buffer space of 100 metres? So, urbanisation has eaten deep.
“Look at Ikoyi Correctional Centre sharing a fence with (another house). What’s (a) prison doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at being able to initiate the process of possibly relocating some of these correctional centres.”
