The Kano State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service has said the soaring number of awaiting trial persons in the custodial centres in the state is alarming.
A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SC Musbahu Lawan, said that overcrowding was a challenge to the NCS smooth operation in the state, noting that the number of awaiting trial inmates had tripled that of convicted inmates in the state.
Awaiting trial inmates constitute about 70 percent of the total number of inmates in the state, with many of them staying in custody even as their cases are yet to be determined by the courts.
Kofar Nasarawa said that if the awaiting trial persons were eventually convicted, the service would not cry over the congestion because the laws give it the power to transfer convicted inmates to any facility in the country.
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He further said that convicted inmates were easier to manage as they were mandated to engage in the various reformatory programmes, an opportunity which awaiting trial persons do not enjoy.
Most of the convicted inmates also benefit from the educational programmes in the custodial centres
The PRO stated that in Kano Command, 38 convicted inmates sat for and passed the NECO SSCE and were seeking admission at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Mushahu stated that due to increased interest of the inmates in academics, the Service was working with NOUN
to establish more study centres in the custodial centres in the state.
The PRO also stated that the Federal Government had introduced non-custodial measures like parole, community service and probation to address the overcrowding in custodial Centres.
He commended some judges who are complementing the Federal Government’s effort by making maximum use of non-custodial sentencing.
