3,413 people on death row in Nigeria – official
According to Abubakar Umar, spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), there are 3,413 death row inmates in correctional centers in the country.
Umar told reporters in Abuja on Friday that “as of Monday, December 18, 2023,” the total number of inmates in centers across the country is 77,849, comprising 76,081 males and 1,768 females.
An NCoS spokesperson announced the total number of awaiting trial prisoners (ATI) at 53,836, including 52,512 men and 1,324 women.
“Awaiting Trial Persons (ATPs) in custody make up 69 percent of the total prisoner population. This phenomenon is a major challenge for us,” he said.
The service said it is working to check the trend by ensuring speedy trial of suspects.
He said that no form of internal rebellion was witnessed in the facility in 2023, and that was because inmates were provided with basic needs and necessities.
Another factor is the proactive approach of NCoS, he added.
“This is due to the introduction of technology for surveillance and the provision of logistics for rapid response in and around detention facilities,” he explained.
Umar said the service explored inter-ministerial synergies in building security in and around storage centers, with positive results.
He said that due to the proactive initiative and support of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the department was able to reduce the number of inmates in detention centers.
“The minister's initiative secured the release of 4,086 prisoners who had the option of fines and compensation,” he said.
According to him, the year also saw improvements in the treatment system for prisoners, particularly in the areas of rehabilitation, rehabilitation and social reintegration.
Umar said a total of 1,840 inmates will participate in the 2023 NECO/SSCE, while many others are undergoing various academic programs in detention centers across the country.
“As you are aware, our partnership with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has real consequences as many inmates are in custody undergoing various academic programmes, including doctoral studies.
“In the area of employee welfare, we strive to improve the welfare of our employees as they are invaluable in achieving our duty of service.
“In addition to providing more barracks and office accommodations, we have promoted many personnel this year. In 2023 alone, we have promoted more than 20,000 soldiers.
“On Thursday, December 22, we recognized a total of 5,014 recently promoted staff members. This is in addition to the 17,693 people promoted earlier this year.
“We have also rolled out several mitigation measures to ameliorate the difficulties faced by our staff due to the removal of fuel subsidies.
Source: guardian.ng