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From Adetutu Folashade, Ismail Omipidan and Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
As part of moves to reduce the high number of minor offenders and reduce congestion of inmates in the correctional centres in the country, the Federal Government has released 4,082 inmates to save the nation over N1 billion annually.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who disclosed this during the annual ministerial press briefing in Abuja also revealed that President Bola Tinubu has approved the increase in the feeding allowances of inmates.
Besides, he said Tinubu equally approved the relocation of 29 correctional centres which are within the residential areas because of development.
According to him, a correctional centre should be located 100 meters away from residential buildings.
For instance, the correctional centre, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, is located opposite the government house, while Suleja Prison is now within the community.
Tunji-Ojo noted that over 3000 buildings of over 240 correctional centres were being renovated. Some of these centres were built over 50 years ago, while one of them was built in 1914.
“If we know where we were, we will appreciate where we are,” he said
The minister said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has recorded two jailbreaks and no jail attack.
A jailbreak, he explained, is organised by the inmates, while a jail attack is organised from outside the prison.
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He, however, noted that the ministry had put in place a proactive policing system, which made it possible for the inmates in Suleja Prison who escaped after a heavy flood that collapsed their fence, to be rearrested under 48 hours.
He also noted that in one year, President Tinubu, approved the promotion of 52,000 paramilitary officers and the ministry has started another promotion examinations for 2025.
The minister said the ministry, through the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), established a Mining Marshall, to sanitise the mining industry, where a lot of revenues were being frittered away illegally.
Consequently, over 2,125 illegal mining sites have been destroyed and the NSCDC has trained over 10,000 Agro Rangers for the agriculture sector.
Agro-Rangers are a specialised unit of the NSCDC tasked with protecting agricultural investments, resolving conflicts between farmers and herders, and ensuring the security of agricultural communities.
The Agro-Rangers unit aims to safeguard farmlands, protect farmers from attacks, mediate conflicts between farmers and herders and prevent the malicious destruction of farmlands.
The initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the NSCDC.
On internal security, the minister alluded to the fact that what the administration inherited was a situation, where internal security was manned by the military whereas it is the paramilitary’s function.
This was possible because the paramilitary was not well equipped and trained. The Bola Tinubu administration approved that the paramilitary officers are trained and equipped to function properly.
