Reps decry poor condition of correctional centres, pledge reforms

The Federal House of Representatives have decried poor condition of inmates in all the Nigeria Custodial Centres across the Country, pledging to ensure that Nigerian Correctional Services Act 2019 is properly implemented to guarantee Custodial Centres’ reforms and ensure that the objectives of Nigerian Correctional Services are actualised

Speaking during the tour of Custodial facilities in Abakaliki, the State Capital and Afikpo, Chinedu Ogah, Chairman, Federal House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions, noted the facilities decay, coupled with heavy congestion of Correctional facilities, which he said, had worsened the conditions of inmates in almost all the Custodial Centres across the Country.

Leading the Committee members, numbering about 40, on the tour of the Correctional facilities as part of efforts to reform Custodial Centres, Ogah said the Committee would ensure that the Custodial Centres were given a facelift by the Federal Government.

He maintained the Federal House of Representatives members are committed to reforming the Centres and are working assiduously to ensure proper implementation of the Nigerian Correctional Services Act 2019 to ensure that the objectives of the Services are not only actualised, but also enshrined in the workings of the Nigerian Correctional Services.

“We are working hard to rebuild the Custodial Centres in general, including decongestion at the various Correctional Centres. The most important thing is reform, reintegrate the inmates and bring them back into the society so that they cannot indulge in another crime”, Ogah said.

Vera Ogwude, Controller of Ebonyi Custodial Centres, appealed for the expansion of the inmates cells, saying: “We have a lot of challenges, you can see the cells are not conducive for the inmates the cells can not cover the number of inmates.

“We are pleading that if there is any way they can help to expand the inmates cells so that they can be comfortable than having issues with each other. We are hoping that within shot period of time, all the facilities meant for the centre will be put to use.

“Currently we have 1,351, but we are expecting that it should come down to 500. We are overstretched because of the limited number of cells for the inmates.”

BusinessDay reports that the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions also inspected an ongoing 1,200-capacity Custodial Centre embarked upon by Ebonyi State Government.