Nigerian Prisons Hold 1,639 Condemned Convicts, Says CG
Facilities shut down due to Boko Haram attacks
The Controller-General of Prisons, Dr. Peter Ekpendu, has disclosed that the prisons are holding 1,639 condemned men and women who were awaiting execution.
Though he did not give the breakdown of their gender, the CG stated that the condemned convicts were being held across the various prison formations in the country.
He equally revealed that some of its prisons had been shut down following external attacks on them by suspected terrorists.
Ekpendu, who said this while making a presentation about the Nigeria Prisons Service to the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) at the service headquarters in Abuja yesterday, gave the total number of prison population as 55,033 consisting of 19,374 convicted inmates and 45,659 awaiting trial inmates.
He explained that the NPS has only 18 Black Maria trucks used in transporting awaiting trial inmates to court.
He complained that their vehicles were grossly inadequate to meet the transport needs of the service which had to transport the awaiting trial inmates to court at regular intervals.
In his words: “The prison formations are presently holding 55,033 out of which 1,639 are condemned convicts awaiting execution. We have 18 Black Marias, 12 non-functional trucks, 16 functional and four nonfunctional ambulances which are grossly inadequate to meet our transportation needs. The smallest prisons should have at least an operational vehicle, ambulance and escort vehicles.”
The CG stressed the need for increased funding for the prisons service, noting that the organisation had not yet settled its outstanding bills with contractors who have threatened to stop supplying food and gas to prison formations.
Dambazau, while acknowledging the challenges being faced by the Service, admonished the management and personnel to make judicious use of budgetary allocations.
He expressed concern over congestion in prisons and promised to ensure the building of modern prisons and completion of abandoned projects.
The minister cautioned the NPS against wastage, stressing that the federal government took accountability and financial prudence seriously.
He said: “Prison congestion is capable of hardening an inmate. The impact of the environment on the prison population is crucial, so it is necessary to create a conducive environment for them. Denial of freedom is punishment enough.”