Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced via social media on Saturday that thousands of detainees throughout Nigeria have been set free from prison as part of an initiative to address overcrowding.
The action represents a step in Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts, following his recent election, to alleviate the overcrowding in Nigeria’s densely populated prisons.
“Yesterday, we flagged off the release of 4,068 of the 80,804 inmates in our 253 correctional facilities nationwide, who have been held in custody due to their inability to pay fines,” Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo posted in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
He made the announcement after visiting the Kuje detention centre near the capital Abuja.
The ministry’s representative, Ajibola Afonja, stated that the mass release will only apply to prisoners whose fines are under one million naira.
Afonja further mentioned that fines amounting to 585 million naira (equivalent to 651,000 euros) have been nullified.
During his tenure, Tinubu has prioritized integrating new methods into the prison system, particularly emphasizing the use of non-custodial sentences.
According to the United Nations, Nigerian prisons are experiencing an overpopulation rate of 147 percent, leading to prolonged waits for detainees before their trials, sometimes spanning years.