The Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Rivers State, Felix Madumere, has said the correctional facilities in the state are overstretched due to the congestion of inmates.

Mr Madumere, on Monday in Port Harcourt, called for urgent state and local intervention towards the expansion of facilities and welfare of inmates.

He said that the increase in the number of inmates in the correctional facilities across the state was putting pressure on the facilities, logistics, and overall operational management.

According to him, the Port Harcourt Custodial Centre, with an original capacity of 1,800 inmates, now holds as many as 2,497.

Mr Madumere added that the correctional centre in Ahoada town, with a 200 capacity, had 281 inmates, while Degema, with a 200 capacity, had 280 inmates.

He said, “In line with the criminal justice monitoring mandate, we started submitting quarterly reports on names of suspects in custody who have stayed more than 180 days and above. The report is expected to enable the judiciary to see cases they can handle. If these cases are not getting attention due to negligent prosecution or lack of witnesses, they should find a way to get affected inmates out of custodial centres.

“Correctional centres cannot slash down the number of inmates just to decongest the facilities. We can only furnish the judiciary with documents and names that they can work on and see if affected inmates can be released. Unfortunately, most matters in Port Harcourt prisons are capital offences, which are very rigorous to handle because, if found guilty, it pertains to life imprisonment. So, the court may take as much as over four years to attend to such cases.’’

The controller also said he had written to the appropriate authorities, with the expectation that the visit of the chief judge of the state, during a jail delivery exercise, would drastically reduce the number of inmates.

He, however, said that one week after the chief judge’s visit, the number of inmates had gone back to almost what it was before the intervention.

Mr Madumere also stressed the need for state and local government intervention towards ensuring the expansion and sustainable management of correctional facilities.

The controller commended the NCS Controller General, Sylvester Nwakuche, for his bold initiatives toward improving the living conditions for inmates. 

(NAN)