The Federal Government has released 4,550 inmates across Nigeria in a major push to decongest the country’s overcrowded correctional facilities, reducing the national custodial population from over 86,000 to around 81,450.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the announcement during a meeting in Abuja with the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions, Hon. Chinedu Ogah.
The mass release focused on inmates held for minor or bailable offences and those who had spent long periods in custody without trial. Tunji-Ojo described the move as part of ongoing prison reforms aimed at aligning Nigeria’s correctional system with global standards.
“Our correctional centres house some of the most vulnerable members of society,” he said. “We have a duty to treat them with dignity and fairness, even within the boundaries of the law.”
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to overhauling the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), emphasizing that justice, humanity, and rehabilitation are central to the administration’s mission.
Hon. Ogah welcomed the development, calling it a clear demonstration of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He assured that the House Committee would continue to provide oversight to ensure the reforms deliver long-term impact and a more humane correctional system.
Tunji-Ojo also pledged to strengthen institutional capacity and promote social inclusion, ensuring that no Nigerian is forgotten especially those behind bars.