The House of Representatives on Wednesday tasked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and state governors to exercise the power of prerogative mercy to grant amnesty to deserving inmates with a view to decongesting correctional centres across the country.
The resolution was passed as a sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Chinedu Ogah, who called for House intervention.
In his lead debate, Hon. Ogah observed that the Nigerian Correctional Service, a federal entity under the Ministry of Interior, is a part of the Criminal Justice System under the Exclusive List.
“The House also notes that the Nigerian prisons, in outline, were mandated to reform, rehabilitate, and ensure effective reintegration of offenders into society in line with universally accepted standards.
“The House is worried that over 70,000 inmates in the country face inadequate facilities despite government efforts, and some have not been charged with criminal cases, while some are unable to pay the fines imposed by the courts despite having their cases determined.
“The House is disturbed that the Nigerian criminal justice system is plagued by flaws, with cases often lingering without resolution for years, thus overcrowding the correctional centres in various geopolitical zones.
“The House is also disturbed that a data system reveals that federal offenders comprise less than 10% of correctional system inmates, leaving over 90% to state offences.
“The House is alarmed that overcrowding of the correctional facilities has led to a huge revenue drain for successive governments, leading to prison dilapidation, criminalization, and the inability to separate awaiting trial inmates from convicted ones.
“The House is cognizant that implementing the criminal justice system and the adoption of non-custodial measures would effectively reduce the overcrowding of national prisons.”
In their bid to address the concerns, the lawmakers urged the federal and state governments to provide comprehensive reforms of the country’s correctional system, including modernising custodial centres, building new facilities, and redesigning the bail system.
The lawmakers also underscored the need for governments to propose legislation to allocate time for the speedy dispensation of justice and reduce the number of inmates awaiting trial.
They also stressed the need to examine the role of the federal and state governments in the correction of inmates, propose sustainable, efficient solutions to address the congestion in 244 jails nationwide, and implement non-custodial measures.
The motion was referred to the House Committee on Interior for further legislative action.