In a major step toward justice reform, the federal government has released over 4,000 inmates from correctional centres across Nigeria, citing efforts to decongest prisons and uphold human dignity.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the announcement on Thursday during a meeting with Chinedu Ogah, chairman of the House of Representatives committee on reformatory institutions, in Abuja.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the country’s inmate population has dropped from over 86,000 to approximately 81,450, thanks to a strategic review of minor offence cases.
“The correctional service remains a key priority. We must uphold the dignity of even the most vulnerable citizens,” he stated.
He commended the National Assembly for backing the ministry’s ongoing reforms, describing the collaboration between the executive and legislature as critical to long-term justice transformation.
Ogah reaffirmed support for the reforms, noting they align with President Bola Tinubu’s broader vision for national development and justice system overhaul.
Similar moves are gaining ground at the state level. In May, Gombe Chief Judge Halima Mohammed ordered the release of 85 inmates from custodial centres in Gombe and Billiri, following facility visits by the state’s criminal justice and inquiry committee.
She said the visits aimed to identify inmates eligible for bail or unconditional release further reflecting a national shift toward rehabilitation and fairness in Nigeria’s correctional system.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
