Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has disclosed that 93 percent of inmates in Nigerian custodial facilities are state offenders, while only 7 percent are held for federal offences.
Speaking in Abuja at the Regional Conference on the Classification of Prisoners and the Use of Technology in Prisons in Africa, organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the African Correctional Services Association (ACSA), the minister said many inmates were being held for offences that did not require imprisonment.
Tunji-Ojo said the Federal Government had taken steps to reduce overcrowding in correctional facilities by reviewing cases involving inmates convicted of minor offences, including those imprisoned over small fines and compensation payments.
He recalled ordering an audit shortly after assuming office, which revealed that more than 4,000 inmates were being held over fines and compensation amounts below ₦500,000.
The minister questioned the cost-effectiveness of keeping such individuals in custody, noting that the government often spent far more feeding inmates than the value of the fines involved. He said the release of affected inmates reduced overcrowding in correctional centres by 5 percent in a single day.
Tunji-Ojo said correctional authorities must examine whether overcrowding is justified, adding that a significant number of inmates across Africa may be serving sentences for offences that do not warrant incarceration.
He also revealed that Nigeria has recorded a major decline in recidivism, reducing repeat offences from about 13,000 cases annually in 2023 to 1,000 last year. He attributed the improvement to increased access to education, skills training and rehabilitation programmes in correctional facilities.
The minister said thousands of inmates are currently enrolled in educational and vocational programmes, including postgraduate and undergraduate studies, formal education and skills acquisition initiatives.
He added that Nigeria has gone three years without a jailbreak or attack on correctional facilities, crediting improved data management and collaboration among security agencies.
Tunji-Ojo cited an example of an escaped inmate who was rearrested while attempting to obtain a Nigerian passport after biometric systems flagged his custodial status through information sharing between government agencies.
