To relieve overcrowding in prisons, Nigeria’s Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has proposed releasing 30 percent of all detainees. Aregbesola reportedly told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he planned to discuss the matter with governors from all around Nigeria.
“I have written the Nigerian Governors Forum to allow me to come and address them on how they can support the process of decongestion.
“The governors must buy into this system for us to do a massive decongestion, especially of Awaiting Trial Inmates,” the minister said.
He pointed out that more than 70% of prisoners were waiting for trial and had already served more time than allowed by law.
“If you look at a man that is caught for petty theft and you are trying him for three years, even if you convict him for that crime, how long will he stay? Probably six months, but without trial he will be there for three years.
“Again, you arrested a boy under the bridge, there is no fixed crime and he is there forever and so on and so forth. So, we need the buy-in and support from state governments,” he said.
He mentioned that state governments’ involvement was crucial because most prisoners were incarcerated for violating state statutes, suggesting that governors form panels to profile offenders and consider releasing any who had served their sentences in excess.
More than that, he urged everyone involved to improve the criminal justice system in order to reduce prison populations.
