FG Budgets N22.44bn To Feed Prison Inmates

The Federal Government has budgeted N22.4 billion to feed inmates in correctional centres nationwide in 2023.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this at a two-day Conference on Decongestion and Corrections Management in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Dr Belgore said the fund was budgeted for in the 2023 Appropriation Act. He said that there has been a steady rise in the population of the custodial centres with at least 80% of the inmates awaiting trial. He said there are 244 custodial centres nationwide, with a 75,507-inmate population, thereby leading to 82 of them being overcrowded.

He put the total number of male inmates at 73,821 and females at 1,686. Belgore said out of the 75,507 inmates, 52,436 are awaiting trial while 23,071 are convicted persons, with 3,322 as condemned inmates on death row.