Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, says 30 percent of inmates in custodial centres across the country should be released.
Speaking in an interview with nesmen on Sunday, October 9, Aregbesola said he will meet with state governors to decide on the mass release of the inmates, adding that 90 percent of them are being held for contravening various states’ laws.
According to him, over 70 percent of the 75,635 inmates across the country are awaiting trial. He said that the decongestion of the 253 custodial centres nationwide was necessary as some of the inmates have no reason to remain in custody.
“I have written the Nigerian Governors Forum to allow me to come and address them on how they can support the process of decongestion. Because the governors must buy into this system for us to do a massive decongestion especially of Awaiting Trial Inmates.