The Federal Government has said it would stop the feeding of states inmates being held in its custodial centers by December 31, urging state governors to take advantage of recent constitutional amendments that have placed correctional services in the Concurrent Legislative List.
Consequently, the federal government has advised the sub-national entities to establish their own custodial facilities in line with the new amendment.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola made the appeal at the commissioning of the Command Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS)l in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Media Adviser to the Minister, Sola Fasure in a statement said Aregbesola argued that the development would help to further decongest the custodial facilities which currently harbour state offenders who make up more than 90 percent of the total number of inmates nationwide.
Aregbesola also added that efforts of the Federal Government have continued to yield positive results with various landmark feats recorded by inmates in detention.
He said since President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law, a constitutional amendment removing the Correctional Service from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List in the Constitution, the Federal Government will stop feeding state inmates by December 31, 2023.
Ogbeni added that, by January 1, 2024, the Federal Government will stop feeding state inmates kept in federal facilities. State governments must now start budgeting for feeding their inmates in federal facilities while they wait for them to build their own facilities.
The Governor of Imo State who was represented at the event by his deputy, Prof. Placid Njoku, thanked the Minister for his passion for the job and especially his humanitarian nature which has shown through all the innovations he brought to Corrections, stating that the state government will rejig its budget to make adequate provision for her inmates going forward.
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