Only 26% Of Total Inmates Are Actual Convicts — Aregbesola

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, has disclosed that only 26 per cent of the total population of inmates in Nigeria’s custodial facilities are actual convicts.

The minister stated this during his address titled ‘Unmatched Infrastructure Development’ at the commissioning of the Osun State Command office complex of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Osogbo.

He also disclosed that “the entire national custodial facilities have a maximum capacity for 57,278 inmates” but however currently housing “a total population of 68,747 inmates, made up of 67,422 males and 1,325 females”.

According to the minister, 50,992 inmates, representing 74 per cent of the total population of inmates in the custodial centres are awaiting trial while only 17,755 inmates which is 26 per cent are actual convicts.

Aregbesola also noted that, “there are at present, 3,008 condemned criminals waiting for their date with the executioners in our meagre custodial facilities.

“This consists of 2,952 males and 56 females. In cases where appeal has been exhausted and the convicts are not mounting any challenge to their conviction, the state should go ahead, one, to do the needful and bring closure to their cases; two, set some others free on compassionate ground, especially those who have grown old on account of the long time they have been in custody, those who are terminally ill and those who have been reformed and demonstrated exceptionally good behaviour; and three, commute others sentences to life or a specific terms in jail.

“This can be done by putting in place a system of amnesty and prerogative of mercy that will review all cases of convicts on death row periodically”.

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