At least 1,440 prisoners in Oyo State’s detention facilities are awaiting trial, according to Mr. Ayoola Opadeji, Controller, Nigerian Correctional Services, Oyo State Command.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Monday, Opadeji made the claim.
According to him, the Medium Security Custodial Center in Agodi, Ibadan, which can house 390 prisoners, currently houses 1,240, 1,001 of whom are awaiting trial.
The controller added that the Abolongo facility in Oyo, which was designed to house 160 inmates, currently houses 514 inmates, 439 of whom are awaiting trial.
According to him, there are currently 1,817 prisoners in the state’s correctional facilities, 377 of whom have been found guilty and are incarcerated for varying lengths of time.
Opadeji stated that the government, the judiciary, and the service were taking a number of actions to clear the state’s centers.
The controller listed the steps, which included a swift trial, pardon, jail delivery (CJ’s visits to custodial facilities), and community work for prisoners.
According to Opadeji, in order to relieve pressure on the state’s detention facilities, the service is currently in negotiations with the state administration and the state attorney general to pardon or amnesty a number of prisoners.
