The Federal Government has signified its intention to reopen over 32 prisons in the northeast, which were closed after they were attacked and overran by Boko Haram terrorists.
The newly appointed Controller-General of Prisons, Ja’afaru Ahmed, who made the disclosure in his address to senior officers of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) at the Service headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, said the move was part of reforms being carried out in the prisons service by the federal government.
He said: “49 of our officers were killed when our prisons were attacked in Mubi, Meha, Damaturu and various other places in the northeast and well over 32 prisons were closed but very soon, we intend to reopen those prisons for operation because of relative peace and stability that have been restored in the northeast.
“We also intend to rehabilitate most of the prisons that were destroyed as a result of the insurgency in the northeast”.
Ahmed, who disclosed that at least 65,000 inmates were presently in prisons custody, decried the high number of inmates still awaiting trial, which he put at 72 per cent.
“This situation is unacceptable and must be changed at all cost if our reformation and rehabilitation mandate must be achieved”, he maintained.
The Prisons boss, therefore, vowed to strengthen collaboration with office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice as well as the Inspector General of Police towards addressing the menace.
Mr. Ahmed also advocated the adoption of the non-custodial sentencing options in line with provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 in order to reduce the number of inmates in prisons as well as financial burden on the state among others.
