The Federal Government has announced that rehabilitation work is currently underway at 12 of Nigeria’s 246 custodial centres, many of which date back more than a century.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed the development during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, noting that a significant number of correctional facilities in the country are old and in dire need of upgrades.
“Mr President did not become President 100 years ago. We have 246 correctional centres, and none were established under this administration,” he said. “The one in Ikoyi was established, I think, in 1956. The one where we had the jail break in Suleja, I think, was established in 1914, and there are so many correctional centres that are 100 years old. I can tell you that about 12 correctional centres are undergoing rehabilitation.”
The minister pointed out that the problem goes beyond crumbling infrastructure, as many facilities lacked adequate medical care until recent government interventions.
“When you look at what this government has been able to do in the last two years with regards to even Port Harcourt prison, which was in a bad state, what the President has been able to do in Kuje, where some weeks ago, major surgeries were held — that is beyond the infrastructure,” he explained.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the absence of medical personnel in some states was addressed after President Bola Tinubu approved the hiring of health workers for the prison system. “When this government came on board, we had a scenario whereby in some state commands, we didn’t have a single doctor for the correctional centre. But the President came, approved the employment of 50 doctors, 100 nurses, and also approved that NYSC doctors should also be posted to correctional centres.”
On security measures to prevent prison breaks, the minister remained guarded but assured that efforts were ongoing. “A lot is going on. There is a lot I wouldn’t want to talk about. As I said, we have 246 correctional centres. You cannot expect Mr. President to fix 246 locations — in each location, you can have about 10 structures — within two years. So, what we are doing is we are collaborating. Yes, we are not where we want to be, but we are not where we were. And how have we been able to do this? Of course, I have to say a big thank you to the other security agencies.”
