FG Begins Rehabilitation of 12 Correctional Centres, Says Many Prisons Are Over 100 Years Old

The Federal Government has commenced the rehabilitation of 12 out of Nigeria’s 246 custodial centres, many of which were built over a century ago and are now in critical condition.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, highlighting the dilapidated state of the country’s prison infrastructure and the steps being taken to improve conditions.

“Mr President did not become President 100 years ago. We have 246 correctional centres, and none were established under this administration,” the Minister stated.

He cited examples such as the Suleja Correctional Centre, established in 1914, and the Ikoyi facility, built in 1956, to emphasise the age and deterioration of many prisons across the country.

According to Tunji-Ojo, the rehabilitation efforts include significant work at Port Harcourt and Kuje correctional centres, noting that Kuje recently underwent major infrastructure and medical upgrades.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the Minister also pointed to improvements in healthcare services within the prison system. “When this government came on board, in some state commands, we didn’t have a single doctor. The President approved the employment of 50 doctors, 100 nurses, and also mandated the posting of NYSC doctors to correctional centres,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo acknowledged the scale of the challenge, emphasising that revamping all 246 facilities is a gradual process. “You cannot expect Mr. President to fix 246 locations in each location, you can have about 10 structures within two years,” he explained.

He credited other security agencies and improved intelligence sharing for supporting ongoing prison reforms and hinted at additional developments he preferred not to disclose for security reasons.

While admitting that the system is not yet where it needs to be, the Minister maintained that progress has been made. “Yes, we are not where we want to be, but we are not where we were,” he concluded.