The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has stated that the Federal Government is working on the custodial centres in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
He disclosed this after undertaking an inspection of the ongoing 3,000-capacity Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Janguza, Kano State, as well as the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje, Abuja.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope is on course, adding that the custodial centres are no longer prisons but correctional centres as they have continued to transform the lives of the inmates.
He expressed his joy in the life of one of the inmates, who he noted gifted him three books authored by him and is about enrolling for his PhD, having completed his firat degree and masters from the centre.
“Obviously, renewed hope is on course. President Bola Tinubu is working on our custodial centres, and not to forget, a young man, one of the inmates today, gifted me about three books authored by him. He has been here for like 12 years, and today he has finished his first degree through the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), his Masters Degree, and is about to enrol in his PhD.
“That is the positive story about Nigeria that I want people to see. These show that our custodial centres are no longer ‘prisons’. They are now correctional. They are transformational. They are reformatory institutions and Nigerians can know that the Renewed Hope Agenda is not just about the strongest in society. It is both the strongest and the weakest in our society,” he stated.
He also disclosed that the federal government has commenced the audit of inmates across its 256 custodial centres in the country, with a view to decongesting the facilities.
