64% of inmates awaiting trial, says NCoS

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The Nigeria Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has said that awaiting trial inmates constitute 64 per cent of the population of custodial centres across the country.

The NCoS Controller-General, Sylvester Nwakuche, disclosed this, on Wednesday, when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions, for the defense of the 2026 budget proposal of the service.

Nwakuche explained that as of February 9, 2026, there were a total 80,812 inmates at the various custodial centres nationwide. He noted this figure consists of 51,955 awaiting trial inmates, 24,913 convicts inmates, while 3,850 fall under other categories.

The NCoS boss, who presented a proposal of N198.85 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year, appealed to the parliament for additional funding to enable the service to address critical operational and infrastructure needs.

According to him, a total of N138.30 billion was proposed for personnel costs in 2026 to cater for a projected staff strength of 37,541. He added that a total of ₦50.40 billion was proposed for recurrent overhead expenditure, including inmate feeding and general operations.

The Chairman of the committee, Chinedu Ogah, earlier in his remarks, stressed the need for urgent reforms in the correctional system, as well as presidential assent to the Correctional Service Trust Fund Bill.

Ogah explained that assent to the bill would strengthen extant laws, which empowers states to establish correctional facilities and ease pressure on federal centres.

The lawmaker, who identified NCoS as central to national security, lamented that many correctional facilities were built over a century ago and have deteriorated significantly. This, according to him, has contributed to recurring security breaches and operational strain in the custodial centres.

Ogah, while noting that the panel would scrutinise both past performance and future funding needs of the NCoS, said

“Our core duty here today is the budget defence of the 2026 Appropriations as presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”