The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has revealed that, there are currently over 4000 inmates being held in custodial centres across Nigeria due to their inability to pay fines that were pronounced by judges and magistrates.
This has been an ongoing issue for these inmates, as they have been held in these facilities for this reason.
During a meeting with the Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria, Samuela Isopi, on Saturday, the minister stated that over 70 percent of the 79,000 inmates in these facilities are still awaiting trial. He also expressed his belief that the number of inmates in correctional facilities could be reduced by about forty percent if non-custodial alternatives were explored as provided for in the Correctional Service Act.
Additionally, he called on the EU to support Nigeria in making available technology to enhance border management architecture within the country, stating that solving crime and migration problems in Nigeria would benefit Africa as a whole.
