At least 7,228 inmates have been pardoned across Nigeria between January 2022 and December 2024 in a bid to decongest the country’s overcrowded correctional centres.
This figure was compiled from various media reports and confirmed by the Nigerian Correctional Service which revealed that the country’s prison population currently stands at 79,125 inmates, far exceeding the system’s capacity of 50,000 inmates.
Despite these releases, 52,903 inmates remain on the awaiting trial list, with many facing serious charges such as armed robbery, murder, and culpable homicide, which require lengthy investigations and court proceedings.
According to available data, 707 inmates were released in 2022, with the number rising significantly to 4,678 in 2023 and 1,843 in 2024.
A major decongestion exercise took place on November 18, 2023, when 4,068 inmates were freed nationwide.
These inmates had remained in custody primarily due to their inability to pay fines, and their release was made possible by N585 million raised by corporate organisations as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The spokesperson for the NCoS, Abubakar Umar attributed the persistent overcrowding in correctional centres to delays in the dispensation of justice.
He noted that many inmates spend years in pre-trial detention, contributing to the overburdened correctional system.
To tackle this issue, Umar explained that the NCoS has adopted several measures, including facilitating judicial access to ensure timely court appearances for inmates.
The agency has also introduced non-custodial measures such as community service and probation to reduce the number of people in custody.
In addition, the NCoS is collaborating with state governments to grant clemency to reformed inmates and working with state judiciaries to conduct regular jail delivery exercises aimed at speeding up the justice process.
Analysts have commended these efforts but insist that sustainable reforms in the judicial system are necessary to address underlying issues such as delayed trials, lack of legal representation for indigent suspects, and outdated penal laws.
