Interior Minister Reveals 93% of Prisoners Held for State Offences, Many Jailed Over Minor Fines

At a recent Abuja conference, the Minister of Interior disclosed that 93% of inmates in Nigerian custodial centres are state offenders, mostly jailed for minor fines and compensation orders under ₦500,000. An audit uncovered over 4,000 such cases. That exercise led to a one-day 5% decongestion of our prisons. The minister challenged authorities to review offences that do not warrant incarceration. Recidivism plunged from around 13,000 cases in 2023 to just 1,000 last year after expanding access to education and vocational training. Inmates now pursue postgraduate, undergraduate and non-formal programmes across 18 learning centres. Enhanced data sharing and biometric systems have prevented jailbreaks for three years. One escapee was recaptured at an immigration counter when biometric data flagged him as an inmate. Correctional leaders are now pushing for wider adoption of classification tools and technology to improve security and rehabilitation across Africa.

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