Nigeria Prisons Beyond the Name Change: CSOs push for better officer’s welfare, inmates reintegration
…As investigative panel continues Public Hearing
By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.
The Independent Investigative Panel on alleged corruption, abuse of power, torture, and degrading treatment against the Nigerian Correctional Service continued its public hearing on Friday, March 7, 2025. The fifth day of the hearing focused on consultations with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and discussions on alleged corruption and violations within the correctional service.
The hearing commenced with an overview of the panel’s work and purpose, presented by Uju Agomoh, PhD, Panel Secretary. Dr. Magdalene Ajani, Chairperson of the investigative panel, delivered the opening remarks.
Representatives from various CSOs, including the Fasai Youth Foundation, Bridging Social Inclusion Gaps Initiative, and Bisigi Africa, amongst others, presented recommendations to address challenges within the correctional service. Some key highlights included:
Reintegrating Inmates into Agriculture: Adopting a model similar to Burkina Faso’s, where inmates are reintegrated into agriculture to boost food production and security.
Implementing the UN Convention on Torture: Ensuring that the convention is implemented to reduce torture and abuse of inmates.
Vocational Training: Providing vocational training to inmates across the 36 states to enhance efficiency and productivity.
Digitization of Correctional Centres: Enhancing accountability, transparency, and efficiency in correctional facilities through digitization.
Introducing Sports: Fostering unity between inmates and correctional officers through sports.
The Executive Director of the Fasai Youth Foundation emphasized the need for the decongestion of correctional centers, infrastructure upgrades, and the provision of psychologists for mental health support. The representatives of the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service discussed the issue of correctional officers paying for their uniforms, with the panel promising to address this concern.
The public hearing was attended by representatives from the Nigerian Bar Association, Nigeria Legal Aid, the media, and various civil society organizations. Dr. Magdalene Ajani delivered the closing remarks, reiterating the panel’s commitment to investigating alleged corruption and violations within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
