The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has stated that 53,473 inmates are awaiting trial in custodial centres across the country are on death row.
In a document released on Monday during the national joint security press briefing at the National Orientation Agency (NOA) headquarters in Abuja, the NCoS said as of July 24, the total inmate population stood at 81,558, comprising 79,615 males and 1,943 females.
NCoS said 24,252 are convicted inmates, while 3,833 are on death row.
The service also supervises 476 non-custodial offenders and has recorded 3,026 new admissions and 3,347 discharges during the review period.
NCoS said to enhance identity management and security within custodial centres, over
60,000 inmates have been enrolled on the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database.
“In line with the expansion of non-custodial measures, the Service now supervises more than 6,000 offenders under community service, probation, restorative justice, and related regimes,” the document reads.
“Justice delivery continues to benefit from the service’s collaboration with state chief judges to facilitate jail delivery exercises. Additionally, the NCoS has actively participated in prerogative of mercy committees across several states, offering technical guidance on clemency and pardon processes.”
The NCoS said over 15,000 inmates are currently training in trades such as carpentry, metal work, hairdressing, agricultural production, and the manufacture of household goods.
The service noted that more than 1,000 inmates have been enrolled for the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) administered by NECO and WAEC, while over 800 inmates are pursuing diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate studies through the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) study centres within custodial facilities.
“At the Borstal Training Institutions nationwide, more than 1,500 juvenile delinquents have undergone structured rehabilitation, reformation, and reintegration processes,” the document reads.
“The Service has consistently ensured that Awaiting Trial Persons and those on appeal are conveyed to court as required. Recapture efforts have also yielded success, with some fleeing inmates and fugitives rearrested through collaboration with communities and security partners.”
The NCoS added that it remains committed to secure custody, transformative rehabilitation, and national security cooperation.
![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")
