Correctional Service Frees 3,751 Inmates

Correctional Service Frees 3,751 Inmates

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) thursday disclosed that it has released about 3,751 inmates, comprising convicts and awaiting-trial persons, who met the criteria set by the federal government.

President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the decongestion of detention centres in the country to sustain the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

Consequently, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola on April 9, 2020, during the flag-off of the Presidential Amnesty at Medium Security Custodial Centre at Kuje-Abuja, announced that a total of 2,600 would benefit from the release from prisons in the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory.

But in a statement signed by the NCoS, Augustine Njoku, yesterday in Abuja, he said some states Chief Judges during the jail delivery processes granted bail/release to some awaiting-trial persons, cumulating in the release of 3,751 inmates so far.

“The NCoS wishes to state that the process is ongoing as other measures are in place to ensure continuity, and the final figures will be made public at the end of the exercise.

“A breakdown of the release shows that 2,740 convicts and 1011 awaiting-trial inmates have so far benefited from the exercise.

“The Controller General of Corrections Service, Ja’afaru Ahmed, wishes to use this medium to express his profound gratitude to all the state governors, Chief Judges and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system, who have worked tirelessly to carry out this exercise and encourage its continuity.

“The Service is assuring Nigerians that all inmates qualified for the amnesty and jail delivery will be released accordingly,” he stated.

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