7,000 inmates pardoned amid move to decongest prisons
The controversy that characterised the buildup to the election of the leadership of Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, seems not to be over as the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, has expressed support for Uche Okwukwu, who emerged in a factional election of the group.
I get life-threatening calls, messages over my generators that don’t use fuel – Oyekunle Ayansola…0:00 / 0:00
The figures were obtained from media reports and compiled by our correspondent on Saturday.
According to recent data from the Nigerian Correctional Service, the total inmate population stands at 79,125 exceeding the system’s capacity of slightly more than 50,000.
Of this number, 52,903 inmates are awaiting trial. Most of these individuals face serious charges such as armed robbery, murder, and culpable homicide, which require lengthy investigations and prosecutions.
The figures were obtained from media reports and compiled by our correspondent on Saturday.
According to recent data from the Nigerian Correctional Service, the total inmate population stands at 79,125 exceeding the system’s capacity of slightly more than 50,000.
Of this number, 52,903 inmates are awaiting trial. Most of these individuals face serious charges such as armed robbery, murder, and culpable homicide, which require lengthy investigations and prosecutions.
In 2022, 707 inmates were pardoned. The figure rose significantly in 2023 to 4,678, with another 1,843 pardoned in 2024.
A major release occurred on November 18, 2023, when 4,068 inmates were freed across the country due to their inability to pay fines.
The gesture initiated by the Federal Government was made possible through N585m raised by corporate organisations as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The NCoS spokesperson, Abubakar Umar, who recently spoke to our correspondent in an interview, attributed the overcrowding primarily to delays in the dispensation of justice.
To address these challenges, the NCoS adopted several measures, including facilitating judicial access for inmates by ensuring their timely appearance in court.
Non-custodial measures, such as community service and probation, have also been introduced to ease pressure on correctional centres.
The agency is collaborating with state governments to grant clemency to reformed inmates and has partnered with state judiciaries to conduct regular jail delivery exercises.
