‘Thousands imprisoned over minor offences, small fines’ – Tunji-Ojo

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that thousands of inmates successful Nigerian correctional centres were imprisoned for insignificant offences that did not necessitate incarceration.

Tunji-Ojo made this known connected Wednesday successful Abuja astatine the Regional Conference connected the Classification of Prisoners and the Use of Technology successful Prisons successful Africa, organised by the United Nations Office connected Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the African Correctional Services Association (ACSA).

According to the minister, galore inmates were serving jailhouse presumption implicit tiny fines and compensation, contempt the outgo of keeping them successful custody being acold higher than the magnitude they owed.

“Shortly aft I assumed office, I directed the Permanent Secretary and the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service to supply records of inmates who were successful custody implicit fines and compensation of little than N500,000. The reappraisal showed that much than 4,000 radical fell into that category,” helium said.

Tunji-Ojo said the authorities instantly reviewed the cases and realised that it made small consciousness to proceed keeping specified offenders down bars.

“It made nary consciousness for the govern...