More than 1,450 inmates were granted amnesty across Nigeria’s custodial centres between January and September 2024 as part of efforts to decongest prisons.
According to the PUNCH, the ongoing initiative is part of a broader campaign that began in November 2023 when the Federal Government initiated the release of 4,068 inmates, many of whom were unable to pay fines.
The initiative has been bolstered by N585 million in donations from corporate bodies through their Corporate Social Responsibility efforts.
In the first nine months of 2024, several state governors and Chief Judges played key roles in securing the release of inmates.
On New Year’s Day, the governors of Benue, Nasarawa, Gombe, and Taraba freed 96 inmates.
By March 19, the Headford Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, facilitated the release of 628 wrongfully detained inmates from correctional centres in Lagos, Ekiti, Delta, Ogun, and Rivers states.
Additional releases followed, with Oyo State Chief Judge, Justice Iyabo Yerima, pardoning 38 inmates on March 20.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed freed 96 inmates on March 22, while the Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, released 24 inmates from the Port Harcourt Maximum Custodial Centre that same month.
On April 9, Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda secured the release of 222 inmates by settling their fines.
Ogun State’s Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, granted clemency to 49 inmates on April 29 and 30. In May, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang freed 13 inmates on May 29, followed by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, who pardoned 41 and 110 inmates, respectively.
The latest amnesty occurred on September 12, when Adamawa State Chief Judge, Justice Hasfat Abdulrahaman, released 156 inmates during a visit to three correctional centres in Yola, the state capital.
Despite these positive developments, the Nigerian Correctional Service has raised concerns over the stigmatization faced by ex-offenders.
The NCoS spokesperson Umar Abubakar stated that societal discrimination often undermines rehabilitation efforts, making it difficult for reformed offenders to reintegrate into society.
This, in turn, pushes some back into crime due to limited opportunities in employment, politics, and civil rights.
“In most communities, ex-offenders are stigmatised, making a mockery of the reformation they underwent while in custody. Most are not given equal chances in employment, politics, and even in exercising their franchise and civic responsibilities,” Abubakar explained.
He warned that stigmatisation is not only a moral failure but also poses a security threat, as it prevents ex-offenders from contributing to society and national development.
Abubakar urged Nigerians to support the NCoS’s rehabilitation efforts and provide a welcoming environment for reformed individuals, stating that such actions would ultimately benefit society.
“May I use this medium to call on the public to refrain from any act of stigmatisation of ex-offenders, as it does more harm to society than good,” he stressed.
