According to the minister, urbanisation has reduced the natural barriers that should surround the nation’s correctional facilities.
Ikoyi Prison and a few other correctional facilities are scheduled to be moved from the nation’s metropolitan hubs to other locations, according to the Federal Government. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the interior minister, revealed this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.
According to the minister, urbanisation has reduced the natural barriers that should surround the nation’s correctional facilities.
Tunji-Ojo said, “Under this administration, we’ve not had any jail attack; what we’ve had was force majeure which was Suleja because that particular correctional centre was built in 1914. It’s about 110 years old.
“President Tinubu was not President a 110 years old. He inherited 256 correctional centres that needed attention. There is no way he would have completely overhaul it in one year.
“I must talk about urbanisation. Look at Suleja for example, the Suleja correctional centre that came down was only 7 metres away from the next house. Instead of what the law says which is a buffer space of 100 metres. So, urbanisation has eaten deep.
“Look at Ikoyi Correctional Centre sharing a fence with (another house). What’s (a) correctional centre doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at being able to initiate the process of possibly relocating some of these correctional centres.”
He said the government would soon commence “inmate audit” across the 256 correctional centres in the country and sanitise them by freeing those who don’t have any business being there in the first instance.
The minister said President Bola Tinubu inherited so many old correctional centres that need attention but the government has started the renovation and rebuilding of some of the prisons in Nigeria.
“We’ve renovated over 10 correctional centres under this administration. The government has done magic in the Kuje correctional centre,” he said.