By Saminu Ibrahim
The federal government has taken bold steps to further decongest Correctional Service formations in the country, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AbubakarMalami stated that President Muhamadu Buhari has been mindful of the need to decongest prisons, saying around seventy percent of the inmates of the Nigerian Correctional Service Centres are awaiting trial.
This is contained in a statement by Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, SpecialAssistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and made available to newsmen on Friday.
Malami said President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted thePresidential Committee for the decongestion of theCorrectional Centers across the country.
According to Malami, the Committeewhich is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Justice, has recorded great success.
The Committee comprising of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Attorney-General of the Federation, Chairman ofthe Presidential Committee on Decongestion of Correctional ServiceCenters; the Chief Justice of the FCT and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service is to determine what measures could be put in place for decongestion of Correctional ServiceCentres in view of the present health challenges.
The Committee recommended that Courts, Federal Ministry of Justice, the Correctional Serviceformations, Governors, Attorney-Generals of States, among others be encouraged to intensify actions to ensure that theCorrectional Service formations are not further congested, taking into consideration the prevailing health challenges associated with Covid- 19.
The statement said the Committee requested that Mr. President may wish to consider his powers of Prerogative ofMercy in speeding of decongestion, while Governors of States and their CJs be encouraged to visit correctional service formations for the purpose of decongestion.
The Committee is of the view that the Federal Executive Council and the State Governments be encouraged to consider payment of fines in respect of minor offences for those categories of inmates that could not afford paying of same in respect of offencesthat attract fines arising from the convictions.
Part of the resolutions were also that Correctional Service should, as well, consider the possibility of moving inmates from congested Correctional Service Formations tocentres that are less congested and have space for accommodation ofinmates, among others.
By way of long term measures, the possibility of amending the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by way ofconsidering an amendment that will move the Correctional Service formations from Exclusive to Concurrent Legislative List among others is equally considered.
“The categories of inmates that will be considered most are those thatstayed in Correctional Service Centres for a period above ten years,those that stayed as inmate for a longer period without any documentation relating to their detention, those that have the option of fine, those that have been in the Centers on holding charges in respect of offences that the Magistrate that sent them to Correctional Service Formations do not have the jurisdiction to try the cases,among others, but excluding those inmates serving jail terms for capital offences such as murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and treason among others”.
