Despite the allocation of N120 billion in the 2024 budget for the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), Henry Onyenze, the controller of NCoS’ Abia State Command, has pleaded with the state government to provide the operational vehicles and help construct court cells.

According to a Daily Post news report on Saturday, Onyenze made this request during a courtesy visit to the Abia State Government House in Umuahia.

Onyenze said these requests were needed to ensure the safety of inmates as well as staff of the NCoS.

READ ALSO: Instead of 250, Broken 110-Year-Old Suleja Prison Held 499 Inmates

In the 2024 budget, the Federal Government earmarked N120,973,438,346 for the NCoS expenditure 2024. Out of this, N4,267,700,326 was allocated for constructing the NCoS fixed assets, including prisons and infrastructure.

The budget specifies this as an ongoing project.

FIJ saw N1,858,751,813 was earmarked in the NCoS budget for the construction of four maximum security custodial centres with a capacity of 3000 in four states, including Abia.

POOR PRISON INFRASTRUCTURE

Correctional centres across the country suffer a myriad of challenges ranging from overcrowding to poor welfare of inmates and staff of the NCoS and deteriorating infrastructure.

Nigeria has 84,741 inmates across 256 correctional centres, of which 57,750, a staggering 68.1% of the inmate population, are awaiting trial.

READ ALSO: Despite Multiple Jailbreaks, NCoS Website Only Shows Details of Kuje Escapees

These poor facilities have, over time, proven to be insufficient to accommodate inmates and prone to damage. Inmates have utilised this as a gateway to escape.

For instance, about 119 inmates fled from the medium-security custodial centre in Suleja, Niger State, the walls of a section of the facility collapsed overnight in April.

FIJ reported that the 110-year-old Suleja correctional centre, where inmates escaped from, was supposed to house 250 inmates but held 499 inmates instead.