The Federal Government has indicated plans to reduce the number of custodial facilities across the country, stating that Nigeria does not require all 256 facilities currently in operation.
According to the government, many facilities are only utilizing 30 to 40 percent of their carrying capacities, making it necessary to redistribute inmates with federal offenses to balance the population across facilities, as every state has a Federal High Court.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the Public Hearing on Alleged Corruption and Other Violations Against the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), organized by the Independent Investigative Panel on Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, and Inhumane Treatment within the correctional system.
The minister reiterated the government’s stance against the inhumane treatment of inmates, emphasizing that such practices will not be tolerated in 2025.
Nigeria Does Not Need 256 Custodial Centres
While addressing the committee and stakeholders, Dr. Tunji-Ojo questioned the necessity of maintaining 256 custodial centers across the country.
> **“How many correctional centers do we even need? It is part of what you should cover in Nigeria.
Realistically
