The Federal Government says it has raised the sum of N585 million for the payment of fines to secure the release of 4,068 inmates across the country.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo spoke on the sidelines of the 27th Ministerial Committee Meeting of the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa, GIABA, which held at the State House, Abuja, on Saturday.
He explained that the N585 million was raised by cooperate bodies as Corporate Social Responsibility to support government to secure the release of the inmates.
Mr Tunji-Ojo, further said the initiative to release the inmates was part of government efforts to decongest prisons in the country.
According to the minister, first phase of the release of the inmates would commence from the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja.
“As of yesterday, November 17, 2023, there were about 80,804 inmates in 253 custodial facilities nationwide with a total installed capacity of less than 50,000. It shows that our custodial centres are overcrowded, necessitating this initiative we are flagging off today,”
The minister said inmates with over N1 million in fines will not benefit from the programme, adding that a stipend would be given to support benefiting inmates.
