Prisoners in the Jos Correctional Centre in the Plateau State capital protested the plan to reduce their food ration on Friday.
According to reports, the protest stemmed from a tip-off about a reduction in their food size.
The rising cost of living in the country spurred protests, with youths and women from all across the country taking to the streets to express their worries, joined by the Nigerian Labour Congress to protest the economic problem.
Protesting the development, the prisoners reportedly refused to take commands from correctional personnel while skipping breakfast.
Custodial officers, on the other hand, deployed tear gas to send them back to their quarters, while the convicts congregated in the heart of the jail yard, shouting at the top of their lungs.
Raphael Ibinuhi, Comptroller of the Jos Correctional Centre, confirmed the event, stating that the decision to lower the food ration was spurred by the country’s high cost of living.
Ibinuhi said, “The problem has to do with the high cost of goods in the market. The contractor in charge of the food said they are being forced by the price of food items to reduce the size of the plate of food.
“So, it was the food size that provoked the protest. I don’t think the protest is necessary because the food challenge and the cost of items are national issues that the federal government is already addressing.
“And I want to believe that since it is a national issue, whatever step is taken by the Federal Government to address it will be felt everywhere in the country, including the correctional centers.”
