Nigerian prisons turn humans to animals’ – FG

The Federal Government has decried the rot in the country’s prisons system saying urgent attention has to be given to the entire reformation of the system.

Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo was speaking today in Abuja at official presentation of the Nigerian Prisons Survey Reports, a research work undertaken by Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action PRAWA in conjunction with the Nigerian Prisons Service.

The Vice President who was represented at the event by Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazau said for a very long time, Nigerian prisons had been neglected, with overcrowding as a major challenge.


“For a very long time, our prisons had been neglected because that prison, when it was built in 1918 was meant to contain about 800 inmates but today, it is containing over 5, 000 and I find that very disturbing. There was no room for prisoners and anybody who goes into that place as a human being is coming out as an animal.


“If I have to say all that I saw at the Port Harcourt prison, the media would feast on it. But, to say the least, it is very disturbing and we must do something about the prisons,” he said.

He said there was the need for state governors to support the federal government in administering the prisons service. He urged them to domesticate the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA.

News source:
Nigeriatoday.