The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Nigeria, has embarked on facility audit in Correctional centers across the country.
The audit is part of the Commission’s mandate to ensure human protection of people in detention and inmates treated in line with international best practices.
The Chairperson of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission Dr. Salamatu Suleiman while leading a delegation of the Commission to Kuje correctional center Abuja, Nigeria, was taking round by top officers of the Service to different segments of the facility, including health centre, kitchen, recreation center, cells, skills/vocation centre, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) study centre and places of worship for the inmates among others.
Commended Officers
She commended officers of the Service, for the professional manner in giving care to inmates, adding that, such attitude will help in reforming the character of those in the custodial facility.
Dr. Salamatu Suleiman observed that the officers have made a difference by connecting to the concerns and needs of the inmates under their care.
The Chairperson who was visibly elated with the attitude of the workers towards the inmates noted that the impression an average Nigerian has about correctional officers in uniform is the application of force, adding that it is not the case with Kuje Correctional Service.
“But here there is mutual respect between the officers and the inmates which is good for the entire system,” Dr. Suleiman said.
The Deputy Controller Corrections In-Charge of Kuje, FCT Command, Ibrahim Shehu told the Chairperson and her team that the Correctional Centre was constructed in 1989 with 560 capacity but now habours 926 inmates.
He noted that, inmates that were awaiting trial are 740 while the number of convicts and lifers are 186 and 28 respectively.
Shehu said that, inmates in the facility are between 18 years and above, while the cost of feeding per inmate is N750 daily as against N450 previously.
On some of their major challenges, the Kuje top Corrections Officer disclosed that they do not have enough office accomodation and that they occasionally experience logistics problem leading to delay in conveying inmates to the courts within the FCT.
The audit exercise which is nationwide was flagged off by the Chairperson Governing Council of the NHRC on the 12th of May, 2022 at the Nigerian Correctional Service Headquarters, Abuja, with the donation of doses medical consumables and eye glasses for inmates through the support of an NGO Gift Health Plus.
Lateefah Ibrahim
