State governments to feed, accommodate their inmates – FG declares

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has said henceforth, state governments are to provide feeding and accommodation to inmates in their respective states.

Speaking at a 2-day High-Level Conference on Decongestion and Corrections Management held in Abuja, the minister declared that the Federal Government would no longer bear such burdens.

Aregbesola added that with the amendment of the 1999 constitution which has now placed the issue of correctional services on the concurrent list, states are empowered to establish their own Correctional Services and facilities.

He further informed that states which do not have correctional facilities would have to pay the Federal Government for the feeding and accommodation of their inmates.

Currently, the Federal Government spends over N22 billion to feed inmates across 244 correctional facilities in the country.

The minister said this is draining the Federal Government’s revenue.

He also revealed that 4,067 inmates are in custody for being unable to pay fines of N1 million and below.