The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that over 4,000 inmates are languishing in custodial centres across the country because they were not able to pay N500 million in fines.
The Minister revealed this on Thursday while featuring on Arise News, adding that he had met with some private organisations to raise the money.
Tunji-Ojo assured that in the next four weeks, the fines would be cleared and the inmates would be released.
He said, “Immediately I resumed, I set up a committee to review the situation at our correctional centres. We discovered that over 4,000 inmates are in custody due to their inability to pay fines which is about N500 million. We have gone far with private organisations to put this money together.
“I am sure within the next four weeks, we will be able to pay these fines for the 4,000 inmates which will help us in decongesting our custodial centres. ”
He pointed out that the decongestion of the custodial centres is not the sole responsibility of the ministry.
Tunji-Ojo said he had been discussing with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, to fight the issue of awaiting trial inmates.
”The decongestion of our custodial centres is not the sole responsibility of the ministry. We are in talks with the AGF to see how cases can be expedited. We have also activated the non-custodial centres to decongest the custodial centres,” Tunji-Ojo said.
