Reps call for upgrade of facilities in Nigerian prisons

Worried by the recurring cases of jail breaks across the country, the House of Representatives on Thursday  stressed the need for adequate provision of facilities that will enhance correction and rehabilitation of inmates in all Nigerian prisons.

According to statistics released by United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in August 2016, out of the 63,000 inmates spread across 240 prisons in the country, 17,897 are convicted while 45,263 are awaiting trial.

The lawmakers who expressed concerns over the congestion of Nigerian prisons, lamented that majority of inmates are awaiting trial and in some cases have exceeded the duration of their actual imprisonment had they been convicted.

The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by three lawmakers namely: Emeka Anohu (PDP-Anambra); Prestige Ossy (APGA-Abia) and Joseph Akinlaja (PDP-Ondo) respectively.

The bill which seeks to amend the Criminal Justice (release from custody) (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. C40, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, with the view to decongest and reduce the number of pretrial inmates in Nigerian prisons and for other related co-sponsored by Nicholas Ossai and Ochiglegor Idagor, scaled through second reading on the floor of the House on the 19th October, 2016.

The bill seeks for the “release of a person detained in custody pending trial where the prosecution fails to commence after the person had spent one-third of the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence.”

In passing the motion yesterday, the House urged the Legal Aid Council and National Human Rights Commission to put modalities in place to assist people awaiting trial in various prisons across the country who have no means of getting legal representation.

While leading debate on the motion, Anohu who called for the intervention of the House said: “owing to poor facilities and lack of logistics, the prison authorities often fail to convey inmates to courts for trials which add to delay in disposal of their cases and they have to remain in prison facilities that lack basic correctional officers and tools that would enable inmates prepare for their re- integration into the society upon their release.”

The lawmaker noted that lack of appropriate legal representation for some of the inmates who cannot afford lawyers and the fact that some of them have been granted options of fines but have remained in prisons because they could not afford the fines.

“Most of the prisons lack basic amenities like portable water, proper waste disposal system, blessings, etc, a situation that exposes them to contacting various ailments,” he observed.

Anohu expressed concern about the dilapidated prison infrastructure, some of which were built over a century ago, “this leading to incessant riots and prison breaks which pose security concerns and serious threats not only to prison officials but also to the general citizenry, not to talk of the embarrassment to the nation.”

He described the prisons as a breeding ground for criminals. “A visit to any prison and you will see man’s inhumanity to man. There are no fans, mattresses, the floor is not plastered; there is no access to lawyers, no vehicles to go to court.

“We can’t allow this to continue. There is big men prison and another for the common man. The one for the big men is well kept, but the other is terrible. It’s a breeding haven for criminals.”

Also supporting the motion, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnena Elendu- Ukeje said: “We can’t overstate the degradation of our prison system. It speaks to the Executive to sign the prisons reform bill. There is need to actually act on it.”

While ruling, Yussuff Lasun, Deputy Speaker who presided over the plenary session mandated the House Committee on Interior chaired by Adams Jagaba to interface with Federal Ministry of Interior and Nigerian Prisons Service on ways to ensure the provision of amenities and improvement of facilities in the prisons across the country for proper correction and rehabilitation of inmates and report back to the House within six weeks.