The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said over 4000 inmates are held in custodial centres across the country over their inability to pay fines slammed on them by judges and magistrates.
This was as he lamented that over 70 per cent of the total population in the nation’s custodial centres are awaiting trial.
He noted that the number of inmates in the correctional facilities would reduce to 40 per cent if non-custodial alternatives as provided for in the Correctional Service Act are explored.
A statement on Saturday by the minister’s Media Adviser, Alao Babatunde, said he spoke when the Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria, Samuela Isopi, visited him at his office in Abuja.
It partly read, ” Over 70 percent of the 79,000 inmates are awaiting trial.
“We have over 4000 inmates in the facilities for their inability to pay various fines. We believe we can reduce the number of inmates in our correctional facilities by about forty percent if we explore non-custodial alternatives as provided for in the Correctional Service Act.”
The minister stated that the EU could support the country in deploying technology to buffer and enhance border management architecture within the country.