Nigeria's correctional centres urgently require reformation due to severe overcrowding and deteriorating conditions. The facilities are outdated and at risk of collapse, leading to potential escapes by dangerous criminals. Immediate action from both federal and state governments is necessary.
Recent statistics from the Lagos State Government highlight the critical state of these centres. At the 2024 ministerial briefing, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Lawal Pedro revealed that the state's seven correctional and custodial services are operating at 104 percent capacity. Designed for 4,754 inmates, they currently house 9,691.
Despite being federal facilities, states like Lagos bear the burden of this dysfunctional system.
The conditions are dire across multiple centres. The Badagry Custodial Centre, for example, is built for 320 inmates but holds 508. The Ikoyi Custodial Centre, designed for 800 inmates, currently houses 3,311. The Kirikiri Female Custodial Centre is overcrowded with 371 inmates instead of its 271 capacity. The Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre is holding 2,949 inmates, nearly double its capacity of 1,940, and the Kirikiri Maximum Custodial Centre, meant for 1,056 inmates, houses 2,017.
The Borsal Training Institute, designed for 250 inmates, now confines 507, while the Oregun Correction Centre provides some relief, housing 88 inmates against a capacity of 120.
This overcrowding issue is widespread across the country's custodial centres.
Nigeria's justice system is plagued by inefficiencies. It is slow, with police often imprisoning minor offenders or mishandling cases that could be resolved easily. Many individuals are detained for trivial offenses, and case files frequently go missing, hindering just conclusions and denying justice.
Most prisons, built during the colonial era, are poorly maintained, leading to frequent jailbreaks. The recently collapsed Suleja Custodial Centre, constructed in 1914 for 250 inmates, now holds 449.
Recent jailbreaks have occurred in Owerri, Kuje, Kabba, Koton-Karfe, Abolongo, Jos, Mandala, Ijebu-Ode, and Agbor.
Government data indicates that awaiting-trial inmates vastly outnumber convicted ones. As of April 29, the 244 custodial centres house 80,507 inmates, with 25,033 convicted and 55,474 awaiting trial, a 31/69 percent ratio.
The Enough is Enough charity reports that, besides overburdening facilities, inmates face disease risks, environmental hazards, and inadequate nutrition, with a daily food budget of just N750 per inmate despite rising food costs.
Although the Buhari administration began constructing new centres in six geopolitical zones, progress has been slow. President Bola Tinubu must expedite these projects.
In Europe, governments have eased prison congestion by imposing restrictions on offenders while allowing them to work. In 12 of Germany’s 16 states, inmates are required to work full-time.
To alleviate congestion, the judicial process must be expedited, some offenses should carry fines instead of jail terms, and other offenders should engage in public service.
New custodial centres must be constructed, and the policing and legal systems re-evaluated to reduce unnecessary arrests.
Ultimately, federal and state governments should collaborate to amend the 1999 Constitution, removing prisons from the Exclusive Legislative List to allow states to build more correctional centres, thereby addressing the current chaos.
