Prison reform: FG says repeat offenders drop from 11,616 to 1,382 in two years
By Victor Idajili
The Federal Government says recidivism in Nigeria’s correctional centres has fallen sharply, with repeat offenders dropping from 11,616 in 2023 to 1,382 in 2025.
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this Wednesday while presenting an investigative report on the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS). He described the decline as proof that rehabilitation and reformation programmes are working.
“Recidivism was 11,616 when we came in 2023, but in 2025 it came down to 1,382 recidivists. It means that our reformation programmes are bearing fruit. The point is that we are no longer where we were. We are making progress,” he said.
Year-on-year figures show the trend: 11,616 in 2023, 3,156 in 2024, and 1,382 in 2025. The minister said government would not consider the job complete until the number reaches zero.
Tunji-Ojo also revealed that 15,632 inmates were admitted in May 2026 alone, while 14,190 were released under various terms during the same month.
The minister pledged the report would not “gather dust”. He announced an implementation framework backed by a monitoring and evaluation committee to track reforms.
He also confirmed plans to relocate correctional centres overtaken by urban growth. Facilities flagged include Suleja, built in 1914, and Ikoyi, built in 1955, both of which lack the required 100-metre buffer zone. Centres in Enugu, Abakaliki, Ibadan and Lagos were also marked for relocation due to proximity to markets and government offices.
“About 90% of these inmates are state offenders, not federal offenders, and 67% are awaiting trial,” Tunji-Ojo said, calling on state governments to partner with the FG since custodial management is largely a state responsibility.
The minister confirmed President Bola Tinubu approved a 50% increase in inmate feeding allowances, which has already taken effect. He urged civil society to monitor implementation.
Permanent Secretary Dr Magdalene Ajani said the investigative panel visited 86 custodial centres across 23 states. The probe was triggered by the 2024 Bobrisky case involving cross-dresser Idris Okuneye. An Assistant Controller General found culpable has since been dismissed.
