Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
By our Correspondent
The federal government has said it will release more inmates just as the number of those discharged has increased to 3,955, as part of measures to decongest the custodial facilities and curb the COVID-19 spread.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, explained that the challenge of inmate’s accommodation was being addressed with the construction of 3,000 capacity custodial centres in Kano, Karshi Abuja and Bori in Rivers State.
Speaking at the inauguration of 59 vehicles at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday, the Minister also said that 32 satellite custodial centres previously shutdown due to insurgency had been reopened and rehabilitated with 14 new facilities and barracks had been constructed.
To ensure the well-being of prison inmates, Aregbesola stated that the NCoS has recruited more medical and paramedical personnel into the service and procured adequate quantities of drugs and medicaments. He pointed out that the service has contributed to agriculture and food production in the country through the reactivation of custodial farm centres for large scale agricultural production in piggery, fishing, cattle rearing and poultry in different parts of the country.
The minister also stated that the three custodial farm centres include: Kujama farm in Kaduna state for maize, Lakushi farm in Plateau state for rice and Ozalla farm in Edo state for palm oil. He said, “we have also procured 25 new tractors, combined harvesters and relevant implements to enhance agricultural productivity in custodial farm centres. We have begun the implementation of the correctional service rehabilitation plan in collaboration with relevant agencies to decongest the custodial centres. When we started the programme two months ago, over 2,600 inmates were released from custody. This number has since increased to 3,955 as the process is ongoing and progressively, more inmates will exit our custodial centres”, he added.
Jafa’aru Ahmed, the Controller-General NCoS, said more vehicles were needed to convey about 5,000 inmates to court every day. He stated that the graduate degree programmes have commenced, noting that about 649 inmates are running various degree and postgraduate programmes in the facilities.
