As part of efforts to decongest the nation’s overcrowded correctional centres, over seven thousand inmates have been pardoned by federal and state governments, chief justices and non-governmental organisations between January 2022 and December 2024.
Nigerian Correctional Service spokesperson, Abubakar Umar, in a statement said the total inmate population stands at 79,125 exceeding the system’s capacity of more than 50,000.
It said of this number, over fifty-two thousand inmates are awaiting trial, most of them facing serious charges which require lengthy investigations and prosecutions.
The statement added that the gesture was made possible through five hundred and eighty-five million naira raised by corporate organisations as part of their corporate social responsibility.
To address these challenges, the Nigerian Correctional Service adopted several measures, including facilitating judicial access for inmates by ensuring their timely appearance in court.
It added that the agency is collaborating with state governments to grant clemency to reformed inmates and has partnered with state judiciaries to conduct regular jail delivery exercises.