The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has disclosed that the Federal Government in six year freed over 12,000 inmates from various correctional facilities across the country to decongest the prisons.
During his 2023 budget defence session with the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, Malami, made it clear to members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters.
Malami, who made the declaration in response to a question from Senator Ajibola Basiru (APC Osun Central), said the Federal Government was able to decongest the country’s overcrowded prisons through policy actions other than the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which is meant to expedite the administration of justice.
Malami said: “When this government took office in 2015, the issue of prison overcrowding was at the forefront of national discourse, prompting President Muhammadu Buhari to put machinery in motion in various ways to find a solution.”
“One such piece of machinery set in motion was a presidential committee established for prison decongestion, which coordinated with other stakeholders in the justice sector to find a way out.” You can read more of such stories at Credible News.
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Abubakar Malami continued, “In addition to the committee, Mr President wrote letters to the 36 state governors and chief judges of the states requesting frequent visits to prisons and the exercise of the prerogative of mercy on occasion.”
“During one of such visits by Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, about 500 inmates were granted pardon in one day, resulting in the release of over 12,000 inmates across the country in the last six years.”
Accordingto Malami, “Special attention was given to awaiting trial persons, who constitute the majority of inmates across the country’s correctional facilities, by bringing magistrates and judges to the facilities for on-the-spot dispensation of justice.”
“The non-custodial sentence guidelines issued in 2020 have also contributed to a significant reduction in inmates across the various correctional facilities.”
Malami said: “The problem, as far as this government is concerned, is more or less a thing of the past now, because in accordance with policy guidelines in place, no correctional centre today will receive an inmate without the required space.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central), stated that the 2023 budget estimates for the Federal Ministry of Justice and its agencies are N71.291 billion, as contained in the Appropriation Bill submitted by the President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Malami, the total amount includes allocations to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and statutory transfers to the National Human Rights Commission.
He praised the President for increasing the Council of Legal Education’s budgetary provisions from N2.7 billion in the fiscal year 2022 to N10.12 billion in the fiscal year 2023.
Malami explained that the increase will force the council to put the various Law Schools in proper working order. The committee then met behind closed doors with the minister.
You can read more of such stories at Credible News and The Cheer News
