Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has urged State Governors to do the needful by signing the death warrants of condemned inmates to decongest correctional centres countrywide.
He said that 3008 condemned inmates had been on death row for a long time, pointing out that the governors had to be courageous in signing their death warrants.
Speaking during the inauguration of the newly-constructed state headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOS), in Osogbo, Osun State, Aregbesola said: “There are presently 3,008 condemned criminals waiting for their date with the executioners in our meagre custodial facilities. This consists of 2,952 males and 56 females.
“In cases where appeal has been exhausted and the convicts are not mounting any challenge to their conviction, the state should go ahead, one, to do the needful and bring closure to their cases.
“Two, set some others free on compassionate ground, especially those who have grown old on account of the long time they have been in custody, those who are terminally ill and those who have been reformed and demonstrated exceptionally good behaviour; and three, commute others sentences to life or a specific terms in jail. This can be done by putting in place a system of amnesty and prerogative of mercy that will review all cases of convicts on death row periodically.
“One main challenge of the correctional service, therefore, is congestion of the custodial facilities. The entire national custodial facilities have maximum capacity for 57,278 inmates. But by the last count earlier in the week, there is a total population of 68,747 inmates, made up of 67,422 males and 1,325 females. We have therefore shot above the capacity by 18 per cent.
“It should also be noted that 50,992 inmates, representing 74 per cent of the total population of inmates in our custodial centres are awaiting trial inmates while only 17,755 inmates which is mere 26 per cent are actual convicts.”
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
