Outgoing Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s criminal justice system to reduce the alarming number of inmates awaiting trial in correctional centres across the country.

Aregbesola observed that 70 percent of the population of inmates in Nigeria’s correctional centers are awaiting trial and have spent more time in detention than the maximum sentences their alleged offences carry.

By November 2022 accounts, Nigeria has more than 76,000 inmates in its 240 correctional centrres.

Of these, more than 53,200 are awaiting trial and they constitute the bulk of the challenge to the nation’s judicial and correctional system.

One major consequence is that this statistic brings several thousands of innocents, or first time offenders into close and long interactions with hardened criminals, thus serving as an induction into a life of crime, which is the direct opposite of the intention.

Aregbesola, therefore, stressed the need for state governments to reform their justice administration system by putting a cap on trial periods of accused persons and ensuring swift dispensation of justice.

This, he said, would end long court trials and perpetual detention of accused persons, as well as decongest correctional centres and predispose less people to crime on account of long tenures mixing with habitual deviants.

Aregbesola made call on Friday, while inaugurating the Imo Command Headquarters of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Owerri.

He said of the awaiting trial inmates: “The sad thing about this is, we cannot statutorily begin their process of reformation because they are assumed to be innocent, except for those who voluntarily wish to participate in any of our programmes.

“This predispose them to violent conduct and they are the biggest source of the challenge of discipline and control at the custodial centres.“

The bulk of judicial system adjustments, Aregbesola said would have to come from the state governments, because according to him “It is on record that more than 90 per cent of inmates in our facilities are state offenders. It is important, therefore, that state governments begin to invest in corrections,” he added.

He further advised state governments to take advantage of the constitutional amendment recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, which makes corrections a concurrent affair.

He said in spite of massive investment in making inmates’ reformation impactful through increased budgetary provision and upgrade of custodial facilities, prison congestion has remained a problem.

“One big challenge we have at corrections is congestion, especially in urban centres where the population density is high and human relations are more complex.“

This, he said, has led to higher crime rate and the need to keep some people behind bars.

The minister added that the Federal Government had taken steps to address the challenge through the construction of six mega custodial centres in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“The ones in Kano and Abuja are ready and with regular funding, the remaining will be completed.