FG approves construction of 3000 capacity Correctional centers-Minister
Minister of interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has disclosed that the Federal Government has given approval for the construction of 3,000 capacity custodian centers across the country in the six geo-political zones to tackle the scourge of overcrowded correctional centers.
The minster made this known to members of the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (Nigeria), the Lagos Metropolitan Council and other participants at the one day policy advocacy conference on, Decongestion of Correctional Centers, held to mark the 60th anniversary of the Council in Lagos.
Aregbesola said the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCOS) mandate is to rehabilitate and re-integrate inmates back into society and regretted that the Service has no power to reject inmates or release them at will or determine their length of stay only until after adjudication through the judicial system.
The minister stated that the Service has been doing all possible and collaborating with bodies such as St. Mulumbaon the ways to decongest the center.
Aregbesola, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Nigeria Correctional Services, Suleiman Tala, stated that the NCOS has been carrying out its core mandate religiously especially in the area of rehabilitation and preparations for life after incarceration saying some 3000 inmates are currently undergoing different degrees programmes with the National Open University while 50 others are studying various programmes for National Certificate of Education.
He commended the NCOS for successfully containing Covid-19 considering the high risk potential of the centers “ a lot of fear arose in the height of the pandemic but gladly the proactive approach of the service as well as that of the Ministry and the federal government paid off.
“Presently the Service has 12 Special Study Centres in different Custodial facilities across the country. Since the inception of the collaboration between the NCOS and the National Open University, a total of 36 inmates have graduated indifferent fields of study such as Conflict and Peace Resolution, Political Science, Sociology, Guidance, and counseling among others,” he added.
He lauded the Order of the Knight of St. Mulumba for the well thought out conference and urged civil society and faith-based organizations to emulate them and play critical roles in rendering services to inmates of the NCOS through offering pro Bono cases, and paying fees for less offenders.
On his part, the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, represented by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Hakeem Odumosu, explained that some of the factors influencing congestion in Correctional Centres in Nigeria include increase in crime rate, changing dimensions and patterns of crime, scientific nature of crime, effects of social dislocation and overburdened criminal justice system among others.
“As we are all aware, it is the Correctional Centres that are statutorily established to keep persons to serve punishment for crimes they have committed or while awaiting trial after being accused of a crime and not granted bail by the courts or granted bail but not been able to meet their bail conditions,” he said.
