The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday, said that decongesting the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) centres has saved the Federal Government approximately N3 billion in one year.
Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this at the launch of the “Report on the National Assessment of the Situation of Children and Young Adults Deprived of Liberty in Nigeria” in Abuja.
He said the achievement was made possible by releasing more than 10 more of inmates who were unable to pay fines as low as N10,000 and N20,000.
Tunji-Ojo stated that the daily feeding cost of an inmate was N750, translating to N22,500 monthly and more than N300,000 annually.
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He emphasised the need to weigh options, leading to collaborations with the private sector to raise N500 million for compensation and subsequent release of eligible inmates.
Tunji-Ojo expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the correctional service, emphasising the need for ideological change beyond mere name changes.
“A prison is a place of incarceration, whereas a correctional centre should focus on reformation, transformation, and rehabilitation,” he noted.
Regarding child incarceration, the minister advocated for support systems to prevent minor mistakes from becoming significant setbacks.
UNICEF Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, reiterated that child rights are human rights, highlighting the prevalence of pre-trial detention and limited access to community-based diversion programs.
