The Federal Government has announced plans to relocate the Ikoyi Prison and several other correctional centers from urban areas to more suitable locations.
This was revealed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.
Minister Tunji-Ojo stated the impact of urbanization on correctional facilities, stating, “Urbanisation has eaten into the setbacks that ought to be around correctional centres in the country. Look at Suleja for example, the Suleja correctional centre that came down was only 7 metres away from the next house. Instead of what the law says, which is a buffer space of 100 metres.”
He pointed out, “Look at Ikoyi Correctional Centre sharing a fence with another house. What’s a correctional centre doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at being able to initiate the process of possibly relocating some of these correctional centres.”
The Interior Minister also noted that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, no jail attacks have occurred, aside from a force majeure incident at the Suleja Correctional Centre, which was built in 1914. He acknowledged the challenges inherited by President Tinubu, including the need to overhaul 256 outdated correctional facilities.
To address these issues, the government plans to conduct an “inmate audit” across all correctional centers, aiming to release those unjustly incarcerated. The minister added, “We’ve renovated over 10 correctional centres under this administration. The government has done magic in the Kuje correctional centre.”
