The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has called for the release of up to 90 per cent of inmates in Nigerian correctional centres, arguing that many are either awaiting trial or imprisoned for offences that do not warrant prolonged incarceration.
The organisation said the proposal is based on evidence that Nigeria’s prison overcrowding stems largely from systemic shortcomings in the criminal justice system rather than a shortage of correctional facilities.
In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, PeacePro welcomed ongoing reforms by the Federal Ministry of Interior, describing them as a step towards a more effective and humane correctional system.
The group cited recent remarks by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, that about 93 per cent of inmates are state offenders while only seven per cent are federal offenders, saying the figures underscore the need for states to take greater responsibility for criminal justice reforms.
PeacePro recalled that when the Federal Government proposed releasing 30 per cent of inmates in 2021 to ease congestion, it had advocated expanding the exercise to cover as much as 70 per cent of the prison population.
Hamzat commended the minister for ordering an audit of inmates detained over minor fines and compensation-related offences, noting that the review identified more than 4,000 inmates whose continued detention cost the government more than the fines they owed.
According to him, the exercise resulted in an immediate five per cent reduction in the correctional population and demonstrated that many inmates should never have been incarcerated.
“The Minister has courageously asked the most important question: Are our correctional centres rightfully overcrowded? His findings validate PeacePro’s position that Nigeria must fundamentally rethink its approach to criminal justice,” Hamzat said.
He also praised the ministry’s expansion of education and vocational training programmes in correctional facilities, saying the reported decline in recidivism shows that rehabilitation delivers better outcomes than excessive imprisonment.
PeacePro stressed that its recommendation does not advocate the indiscriminate release of dangerous offenders.
Instead, it called for a nationwide review of inmates awaiting trial, persons held for minor and non-violent offences, detainees unable to meet bail conditions because of poverty, and offenders eligible for non-custodial measures such as community service, probation, restorative justice and fines.
The organisation urged state governors, chief judges, attorneys-general, the Nigerian Correctional Service and other justice sector stakeholders to collaborate on comprehensive prison decongestion initiatives.
According to PeacePro, Nigeria’s correctional challenges will be better addressed through a fairer and more efficient justice system than by simply building more prisons.
“The future of Nigeria’s correctional system lies not in building more prisons but in building a smarter, fairer and more effective justice system. A nation is judged not by how many people it imprisons, but by how fairly it administers justice,” Hamzat added.