The Kano command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCoS), says 70 percent of inmates in prison facilities across the State are awaiting trial.
Spokesperson of the Service in Kano, Musbahu Lawan, while speaking with newsmen yesterday, said overcrowding in the State’s correctional facilities is posing a significant challenge, as the number of awaiting trial inmates has tripled compared to convicted inmates.
According to him, “Statistics show that only 30 percent of inmates are convicted in the correctional service, while inmates awaiting trial constitute 70 percent of the total number of inmates in the State.
“Most of the inmates awaiting trial have stayed in custody with their cases yet to be determined by the courts”.
“Our laws give us the power to transfer convicted inmates to any facility in the country, so if the inmates awaiting trial are eventually convicted there won’t be congestion”, he stated.
Lawan explained that convicted inmates were easier to manage as they were mandated to engage in the various reformatory programmes, an opportunity which awaiting trial persons might not have.
He added that 38 convicted inmates in Kano sat for NECO, SSCE and passed, of which they are now seeking for admission at the National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN).
The spokesperson said that one of the challenges was lack of study facilities like computers and study materials.
Lawan praised the federal government for implementing non-custodial measures like parole, community service, and probation to address overcrowding in custodial centers and commended judges for maximizing non-custodial sentencing.
