On Tuesday, the Federal Government announced that, following its strategy of jail decongestion, more than 12,000 prisoners had been freed from various prison facilities across the nation in the previous six years.
During a hearing with the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters to defend the 2023 budget, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami disclosed this information.
Malami said the federal government was able to decongest the overcrowded prisons across the nation through policy actions aside from the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, meant for swift dispensation of justice. He made the statement in response to a question from Senator Ajibola Basiru (APC Osun Central).
“The issue of prison overcrowding was at the forefront of public discourse when this government took office in 2015, which prompted President Muhammadu Buhari to set machinery in motion in many ways for the necessary remedy.
“One of these mechanisms was the Presidential Committee for Prison Decongestion, which coordinated with other Justice sector partners to find a solution.
Along with the committee, the president issued letters to the chief judges and governors of the 36 states requesting that they visit jails regularly and utilize their prerogative of mercy.
“During one of these visits, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje pardoned roughly 500 prisoners in a single day; over 12,000 prisoners have been released nationwide over the past six years as a result of these visits.
By sending magistrates and justices to the centres for immediate justice, special attention was provided to the majority of detainees at the country’s numerous correctional facilities who are awaiting trial.
“The 2020 non-custodian sentencing guideline has also significantly decreased the number of inmates at the various correctional facilities.
As far as this government is concerned, the issue is mostly resolved because, following established policy criteria, no correctional facility will currently accept an inmate if it lacks the necessary room, he stated.
The Appropriations Bill filed by President Muhammadu Buhari includes N71.291 billion for the Federal Ministry of Justice and its agencies in its budget projections for 2023, according to the committee’s chairman, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central).
According to him, the entire amount includes transfers mandated by law to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and allocations to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
He complimented the President in particular for boosting the Council of Legal Education’s financial provisions from N2.7 billion in the fiscal year 2022 to N10.12 billion anticipated for the fiscal year 2023.
He explained that the increase will allow the council to properly maintain the various law schools.
