Olusegun Ariyo
The Niger Delta Rights Advocates, NDRA, has commended the Federal Government for addressing allegations of corruption and serious violations of standard operating procedures within the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS.
According to the NDRA, the swift actions taken by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, exemplified the diligence and efficiency that Nigerians expect from their leaders.
In a statement on Wednesday by its Coordinator, Bright Ngolo, and Head of Research, Chuks Alozie, the NDRA urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to prioritize addressing overcrowding in correctional centers and the lack of medical and recreational facilities in the 2025 Budget.
The groupalled for a substantial increase in the budget allocation to the Ministry of Interior to resolve those pressing issues and to fully implement the United Nations’ Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, adopted in 2015.
The NDRA also praised the Ministry’s collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, noting that this partnership “has made it possible for vocational centers in custodial centers across Nigeria starting with Borno State, to be adorned with skillfully designed furniture which can empower inmates with tools for employment, reduce reoffending and aid their successful reintegration into society.
“This partnership of the Ministry with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Government of Germany and the US Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), is the first of its kind in Nigeria and we demand for more partnerships with NGOs to make our custodial centres inhabitable.”
