FG Frees 11 from Enugu Correctional Facilities

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

No fewer than eleven inmates of the Enugu Correctional Centre have been released under the federal government prison decongestion programme.

The eleven inmates were drawn from the Enugu, Nsukka as well as Oji River and Ibite-Olo custodial centres.

The inmates were handed over to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who was in Enugu on Saturday for their official release to their families and society.

The Ministry of Interior flagged off the release of 4,068 inmates sentenced to various terms of imprisonment with option of fine and compensation in Custodial Centres nationwide.

Speaking at the ceremony at the Enugu Maximum Correctional Centre, the minister said the gesture is part of measures to decongest Custodial Centres and make them humane for proper reformation and rehabilitation of offenders to take place.

He said as at November, 2023, there were about 80,804 inmates in 253 custodial facilities nationwide, which total installed capacity for the 253 Custodial Centres was less than 50,000 inmates.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo acknowledged that the alarming figures show that Nigeria’s custodial facilities are over-crowded; necessitating the initiative targeted towards addressing the overcrowding conundrum bedevilling Custodial Centres and their reformatory function.

The minister said most of the benefitting inmates at the verge of their freedom are indigents who cannot afford to pay their fines, and are languishing in custody.

He disclosed that philanthropic individuals, groups and corporate bodies, raised the sum of N585,000,000 for their release as part of their corporate social responsibility.

The minister advised the released inmates to stay off crime and criminality.

He also charged their immediate families and the society not to stigmatise them.