93% of Nigerian Inmates Are State Offenders, Many Should Not Be in Jail – Tunji-Ojo

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that 93 percent of inmates in Nigeria's correctional facilities are state offenders, while only seven percent are being held for federal offences, arguing that many of those currently in custody should never have been incarcerated.

Tunji-Ojo made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja during the Regional Conference on the Classification of Prisoners and the Use of Technology in Prisons in Africa, organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the African Correctional Services Association (ACSA).

The minister said the Federal Government has taken deliberate steps to decongest custodial centres by reviewing the cases of inmates imprisoned for minor offences and unpaid fines.

According to him, many correctional facilities became overcrowded because individuals convicted of minor offences were sent to prison when alternative punishments would have been more appropriate.

"About 93 percent of our inmates in Nigeria are state offenders, while only seven percent are federal offenders. Before this administration came on board, many of those in custody were serving time for minor offences that did not warrant incarceration," he said.

Tunji-Ojo revealed that shortly after assuming office, he directed officials of the Ministry of Interior and the Nigerian Correctional Service to compile records of inmates detained over fines and compensation orders below ₦500,000.

The audit, he said, uncovered more than 4,000 inmates who were being held for relatively minor financial penalties.

Questioning the economic value of keeping such offenders behind bars, the minister noted that the government spent far more feeding the inmates than the value of the fines for which they had been imprisoned.

"I asked, what is the sense in this? Government spends more than ten times the amount of those fines feeding these inmates every year. How does that benefit anyone?" he said.

He explained that after reviewing the cases, the government facilitated the release of the affected inmates, reducing the population of correctional centres by about five percent in a single day.

The minister said the experience highlighted the need for African countries to reassess their incarceration policies and consider whether overcrowding in correctional facilities is driven by offenders who could be better managed through non-custodial measures.

"You will discover that 30, 40 or even 50 percent of inmates in some facilities are serving sentences for offences that do not require imprisonment," he said.

Tunji-Ojo also disclosed that Nigeria has recorded a significant decline in recidivism under the current administration, with repeat offender cases dropping from about 13,000 in 2023 to approximately 1,000 last year.

He attributed the improvement to expanded rehabilitation programmes, increased access to education and vocational training within correctional facilities.

According to him, 62 inmates are currently pursuing postgraduate studies, 261 are enrolled in undergraduate programmes, while 1,125 inmates are participating in formal education.

He added that 18 study centres of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) now operate within correctional facilities, while 9,582 inmates are enrolled in vocational and non-formal education programmes aimed at preparing them for reintegration into society.

The minister further revealed that Nigeria has gone three consecutive years without recording a jailbreak or attack on any correctional facility.

He credited the achievement to improved security measures, enhanced data management systems and stronger collaboration among security agencies.

As an example, Tunji-Ojo recounted how an escaped inmate was rearrested after attempting to obtain a Nigerian passport.

According to him, the individual's biometric data triggered an alert during the passport application process, enabling immigration authorities to immediately notify the Nigerian Correctional Service, leading to the suspect's arrest.

Speaking at the conference, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, said Nigeria has continued to modernise its correctional system through reforms introduced under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019.

He explained that effective prisoner classification has become an important tool for identifying security risks, protecting vulnerable inmates, improving resource allocation and delivering tailored rehabilitation programmes.

Nwakuche also emphasised the growing importance of technology in correctional administration, noting that digital systems would improve record management, strengthen information sharing and enhance institutional accountability.

He called for greater collaboration among African correctional services, saying the continent's correctional institutions could benefit from sharing experiences, best practices and innovative solutions to address common security and rehabilitation challenges.

The conference brought together correctional administrators, policymakers and international partners to discuss strategies for improving prison management, promoting rehabilitation and leveraging technology to strengthen correctional systems across Africa.