The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has lamented the deplorable state of correctional facilities in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
He disclosed this in a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Mr Ozoya Imohimi, in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo, who visited the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, where 119 inmates escaped following a rainstorm that damaged the facility on Wednesday, stated that the centre is old and outdated as it was built in 1914, with a capacity of 250 inmates, but unfortunately now houses over 499 inmates.
He noted that the centres are suffering from overcrowding, maintaining that treatment is a need to relocate the centres from the cities, as this will make for better security among others.
“This facility was built in 1914 to house 250 inmates; before this incident, we had 499.
“This is a testimony to what we keep talking about: the overcrowding of our correctional centres.
“You can look at the environment; it shows that we need to relocate them away from city centres to create better space, better security, and better infrastructure,” he said.
He, however, assured the public that the ministry is already working behind the scenes to fashion out a correctional system that would work for all, adding that such incident will not repeat itself in any other facility across the country.
“I was not appointed to make excuses; I was appointed to take responsibility, and we are not shying away from taking responsibility.
“We will get them back and we will ensure this doesn’t happen again anywhere in the country,” he added.
