The Nigerian Correctional Service has disclosed that no fewer than 1,271 offenders are currently serving various non-custodial sentences across the country under alternative punishment measures aimed at reducing congestion in custodial centres.
Latest statistics released by the NCoS as of June 29, 2026, showed that 1,137 of the offenders are males, while 134 are females.
According to the figures, community service remains the most widely adopted non-custodial sentence, accounting for 1,038 offenders nationwide. The breakdown indicates that 992 males and 46 females are currently serving community service sentences.
The data further revealed that 12 offenders are on parole, comprising nine males and three females, while 34 persons are serving probation sentences, including 30 males and four females.
The NCoS also disclosed that 162 offenders are undergoing restorative justice programmes, made up of 84 males and 78 females.
In addition, 25 offenders are serving other categories of non-custodial sentences, with 22 males and three females captured in the category.
Overall, the statistics indicate that males account for about 89 per cent of the country’s non-custodial offender population, while females make up the remaining 11 per cent.
The non-custodial service was introduced following the enactment of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, which replaced the former Nigerian Prisons Service framework and established alternatives to imprisonment for eligible offenders.
The measures, which include community service, probation, parole and restorative justice, are designed to decongest correctional facilities, promote the rehabilitation of offenders and strengthen the administration of criminal justice.
The initiative also aligns with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which encourages the use of alternatives to custodial sentences where appropriate.
Implementation of the scheme began in phases, with the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State among the first jurisdictions to adopt community service and other non-custodial measures before the programme gradually expanded across the country.
The NCoS said implementation has continued to gain traction in states such as Adamawa, Anambra, Edo, Kano, Lagos and Plateau, while the Service is intensifying advocacy for wider adoption of non-custodial sentencing by state judiciaries as part of efforts to address overcrowding in correctional centres nationwide.
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