The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) has disclosed that 3, 751 inmates, including convicts and awaiting trial persons have been freed so far following the presidential directive on the decongestion of custodial centres over the Covid-19 pandemic.
Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Austin Njoku, a Deputy Controller of Service (DCC), made this known in a statement, stressing that some states Chief Judges during the jail delivery processes however granted bail/release to some awaiting trial persons, culminating in the release of 3,751 inmates.
“The NCS wishes to state that the process is ongoing, as other measures are in place to ensure continuity and the final figures will be made public at the end of the exercise.
“A breakdown of the release shows that 2, 740 convicts and 1, 011 Awaiting Trial Inmates have so far benefited from the exercise.
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“The Controller General of Corrections, Ja’afaru Ahmed, wishes to use this medium to express his profound gratitude to all the State Governors, Chief Judges and other stakeholders in the Criminal Justice System who have work tirelessly to carry out this exercise and encourage its continuity.
“The Service is assuring that all inmates qualified for the amnesty and jail delivery will be released accordingly”, the statement added.
President Muhammadu Buhari had granted amnesty to some inmates and ordered the decongestion of custodial centres in the country as part of the measures to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.
Following this directive, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola on April 9, during the flag-off of the Presidential Amnesty at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje, Abuja, announced that a total of 2, 600 inmates will benefit from the release across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
70 inmates were released by the Kuje Correctional Centre on April 9.
