Reps slam low funding, security at custodial centers, call on states to construct modern facilities

The House of Representatives has urged state governments to build modern correctional centres to decongest existing facilities and forestall jailbreaks.

Chinedu Ogah, chairman, House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, made the suggestion on Friday when the committee visited Suleja prison to inspect the damages caused by rain that led to inmates escaping from the facility.

Mr Ogah also called for improvement in feeding inmates and recruiting more correctional service personnel.

“The little token that is used to feed inmates is not enough; we need to take care of the Nigeria Correctional Service.

“The 1999 Constitution, as amended, has shifted correctional service to the concurrent list; therefore, governments of the 36 states must implement that law by building correctional facilities,” Mr Ogah added.

He said the Suleja Correctional Centre, built in 1914, was outdated and “cannot stand the test of time.”

The lawmaker observed that the facility collapsed due to the weakness of the building.

The committee chairman said that the budget of the Nigeria Correctional Service was not enough to do what was needed.

“They need more money to provide adequate security,” he added.

He also expressed concern that over 400 inmates had just five armed personnel to keep them in check.

“Such an arrangement will not work; they need more manpower.

“We are urging Mr President to approve the recruitment of more manpower to the correction service by recruiting more men to man the correction centres,” he added.

He said this would help to stabilise the correctional centres and checkmate any attack on correction facilities nationwide.

“The correctional service needs more vehicles; the staff of the correctional service are supposed to live in the barracks; they are supposed to live near the inmates so that a lot of this incident can be taken care of,” Mr Ogah said.

(NAN)