On Saturday, the minister confirmed the release of 4,068 inmates nationwide after the federal government paid N585 million in fines.

During his presentation at the International Donor Round Table on Correctional Service Reform, organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Abuja, Tunji-Ojo said decongesting the facilities requires the cooperation of government, civil society groups, and the international community. 

“With over 80,000 inmates, we were able to decongest by only 5% with the N585 million fines we cleared. This is the era of Renewed Hope,” the minister said, adding that “We need to partner with you to see how we can leverage your technical expertise.”

On abuse of power by controllers, the minister said he will crack down on, and expel any officer caught in the act.

“Any controller caught taking money from a big man to lock up a poor man without a detention warrant will be expelled from the service,” he said. 

“We are here to fill in the gap for the weakest in society. We are here, as a government, to be the voice of the voiceless, and the strength of the weakest.

“Never again should the freedom of anybody be taken away on the basis of his weakness.”

On his part, Matthias Schmale, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, commended the minister for his proactiveness since his appointment. 

“I want to commend you for the good job you are doing. I am aware of the great things you have done,” Schmale said. 

Also present at the event were Haliru Nababa, the comptroller-general of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS); the Italian ambassador to Nigeria, and representatives of the governments of Germany, Qatar and the US.

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The members of group who have been alleged to be behind the killing of security personnel in the South-East, stormed the facilities and set alight some offices, structures and vehicles within the vicinity.

A security officer told PRNigeria that the attackers used dynamite and sophisticated gun during the attacks.

“Heavy gunshots and explosions could be heard in the area when they arrived with sophisticated weapons including dynamite and guns.

“Meanwhile while some of the inmates in the Correctional facility refused to go while others have voluntarily returned,” a security sighted by PRNigeria indicted that the attacked started at 1.00 am on Monday.

The report states that: “At about 0100hrs of date, armed men suspected to be members of IPOB/ESN criminal gang in their numbers invaded Owerri Prisons mine using dynamites and other heavy explosives, gained entrance and released some inmates in the prison.

“The hoodlums also attacked the Police State Headquarters Owerri while firing consistently with AK 47 rifles and explosives, released some suspects detained in the SCID cell and put fire on so many vehicles parked at the Headquarter premises including the SCID office building. The onslaught/operation lasted close to three(3) hours,” it concluded.

The spokespersons of the police and correctional service have promised to issue official statements after the assessments of the damages.

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The inmates fled the prisons during the crisis that trailed the #EndSARS crisis.

While parading 126 suspected criminals on Wednesday, Babatunde Kokumo, Edo commissioner of police, said 10 of the suspects were the inmates who escaped earlier.

He said the inmates immediately returned to crime and were re-arrested by the police.

“We have commenced actions against the criminal elements. It will interest you to know that 10 of the criminal elements who escaped from Oko Correctional Centre on Airport Road, Benin and the Correctional Centre on Sapele Road, Benin were also arrested,” he said.

“One of them, after having escaped from Oko correctional centre, ran back to his village on the same day, to kill the person who stood as a prosecution witness in the case that took him to the correctional centre. He has been arrested and he is among the suspects.

“Another group of three escapees from the correctional centre in Benin also went ahead to snatch a Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Three of them met at the correctional centre and they were caught by the police.

“A set of two escapees equally stole a Toyota Camry car. They also met at the correctional centre. They were arrested by Okada Division of Edo State Police Command. We have a total of ten escapees. The guns were also recovered from the criminal elements.”

He assured the people of the state that the police “have the capacity to provide adequate security for their lives and property”

”We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that there is total safety. Edo residents should go about their lawful businesses without fear of being molested and without fear of criminals coming to wreck violent attacks,” he said.

The commissioner also said five AK-47 rifles; two locally-made exhibit guns; one locally-made gun; one Lexus 330 SUV with registration number KWL 205 AZ; one Toyota Camry saloon car with registration number LSD 231 GD; two bags of 50kg and one bag of 25kg rice and 24 crates of assorted drinks were recovered.

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The minister spoke at a public hearing organized by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Appropriation.

The group agreed with the minister that Nigeria’s correctional centres are long overdue for decongestion, stating that “The honourable minister has good intentions and the idea is quite laudable, visionary and humane. Available data indicates that more than 70% of inmates of correctional centres are awaiting trials. This has caused severe congestion forcing inmates to sleep in turn. They queue for hours in front of toilets. This is dehumanising, degrading and inconsiderate.

“Exempli gratia, 1,574 out of 1,761 inmates in Anambra are awaiting trial. Out of the 600 inmates in Aba, only 113 of them are serving full sentences. The rest are awaiting trial and expectedly, 80 of them have gone mad. It is so pathetic, so alarming.

“Then comes the question of space. Our correctional centres are not large enough, neither do they have necessary facilities to retain a human face. 585 inmates jostle for 400 spaces in Ekiti. The space designed for 1,354 inmates in Rivers is being used by 4,424 inmates. Owerri Correctional Centre contains 2,500 instead of 550. This is why Aregbesola’s move to decongest the prisons could not have come at a better time.”

“With the total number of prisoners in Nigeria standing at 73, 631 as at 18th July, 2018 in a population of roughly 199 million one wonders why Nigeria cannot provide enough facilities in its correctional centres when its prison population rate is just 37 per 100,000. It is noteworthy that the world prison population rate, based on United Nations estimates of national population levels, is 145 per 100,000. The rate for Western African countries is 53 whereas for southern African countries it is 244 per 100,000 (See World Prison Population List https://www.prisonstudies.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/wppl_12.pdf).

MURIC appeals to the minister to extend the decongestion exercise to the 54 soldiers. “But we are asking the minister to extend the kind gesture to other prisoners based on merit. Our main interest lies in the 54 soldiers. These were soldiers arrested in 2014 for daring to complain to their commander that their weapons were too poor to confront better equipped Boko Haram fighters.

“They had earlier lost 23 men and four officers due to poor equipment when they advanced on Damboa on 9thJuly, 2014. This made them to demand better supplies when they were ordered to return to the battle front again without improved weaponry. They were sentenced to death in December 2014 but this was later commuted to ten years imprisonment.

“But Nigerians have since learnt that it was the 54 soldiers affair which exposed the massive corruption in the army with particular reference to armsgate. We therefore contend that the 54 soldiers should be seen as heroes and patriots instead of being treated as criminals who merely deserve to rot in jail.

“It is on these humane and compassionate grounds that we are pleading with the honourable Minister of Internal Affairs to kindly extend the decongestion exercise to the 54 soldiers. It is about our norms and values. Those who have toiled for our country should not be made to regret their sacrifices. It is demoralising.

“Apart from seeking greener pastures, our lopsided sense of justice is another raison d’etre for the migration of Nigerian youth to foreign lands. We castigate excellence and reward mediocrity. We worship indolence and demonise industry. We deride integrity but hail corruption. This kills gallantry in our soldiers and diminish patriotic instincts in our young ones. Instead of giving them ordinary panadol, Nigeria beheads its citizens for complaining of headache.

“Or how do we explain the sentencing of a 22 year old man to 30 months in prison for stealing a pair of slippers? Worse still, he was given no option of fine. Why should a poor citizen be jailed two years for stealing just one goat? How do we justify the death sentence handed down to four men for stealing only one phone worth N10,000? What is the rationale behind docking a JSS 2 student for stealing N200 from his classmate?

“These are questions begging for answers and we expect the minister to address this burning issue of gross injustice in the land particularly against the poor jamahiir (masses). The starting point should be the 54 soldiers. We strongly believe that they are victims of ego-massaging by senior officers.”

MURIC also brought the issue of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy to the front burner.

“We are aware that the Federal Government (FG) on Tuesday 28th August, 2018 inaugurated the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy. The Committee is to assist President Muhammadu Buhari in the discharge of his constitutional responsibility of granting state pardon to deserving prisoners and ex-convicts.

“The committee has been going round the states and it is doing a great job. But we are yet to hear what the committee thinks of the 54 soldiers. It is our considered opinion that the 54 soldiers are eminently eligible for presidential mercy. It may be pertinent here to inform the honourable minister that a special appeal for clemency for the 54 soldiers was addressed to the Vice President’s office by MURIC in November 2018.

“Prisoners are being released in large numbers around the world. Former US president Barrack Obama released 6,000 prisoners on 30th October, 2015. Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, released 7,000 prison inmates in October 2016 to make room for corruption offenders. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered the release of 935 prisoners ahead of Ramadan on 14th May, 2018. It is only in Nigeria that governors and chief judges release a paltry 8 or 9 prisoners and leave thousands in jail to waste away.

“We therefore expect Aregbesola to order the release of inmates in their thousands from each correctional centre. The minister had been an uncommon governor for eight good years and he had stunned Nigerians with his record-breaking performance. We are therefore expecting an equally uncommon, unprecedented and revolutionary decongestion of Nigeria’s correctional centres within the next six months. Indeed, we expect the release of at least 50% of the 73, 631 Nigerians who are presently in the correctional centres. This will fall in line with global best practices.

“Before we draw the curtain, we hail Aregbesola for planning to decongest the prisons. We appeal to him to take a compassionate, yet dispassionate look at the the case of the 54 soldiers with a view to setting them free.

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Reacting to the incidents and arrests, President Buhari noted that such arrests is in line with his commitment to human rights and dignity of the citizens regardless of their age, religion and ethnicity.

President Buhari will not support criminality under any guise, including the abduction of children and selling them off illegally.

On torture chambers, in this day and age, no responsible democratic government would tolerate the existence of the torture chambers and physical abuses of inmates in the name of rehabilitation of the victims.

The President, therefore, lauds the efforts of the police in exposing these human rights abuses by individuals and criminal groups, and is optimistic that these efforts will be sustained to check illegal activities of this nature.

The President appeals to members of the general public to remain vigilant and assist security agencies in crime prevention and control by reporting the existence of criminal activities around their communities.

The sharing of human intelligence is everybody’s responsibility in order to make our society safe and this government is ever committed to supporting the police to be more effective in the performance of its duties through proper funding and motivation of its personnel.

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