Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has approved the relocation of 29 correctional centers, also known as prisons, from urban areas across the country.
Home Minister Olubunmi Tunji-ojo announced this on Friday, February 21, at the unveiling of some operating vehicles for the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Tunji-ojo Back in July, the FG relocated prison plan was because urbanization has penetrated into setbacks that should be around the facilities, citing Suleja and Ikoyi Correctional Center as examples.
He explained why the Ikoyi facility should no longer be in its current location, and he lamented that it no longer has enough “buffer” as stipulated in the constitution. He further described it as a “security threat.”
“Of course, you can see the district court here, the churches, the residential buildings and the many commercial structures around it.
“The government is looking at how we can move some of these correctional centers, and Ikoyi is very critical.
“Don’t forget that the law says you need a buffer of about 100 meters. As you can see, the buffer here is almost zero. It’s a law-abiding government and we’ll explore all the ways to make sure we do the right thing in the law ” said Mr. Tunji-Ojo.
The minister also took the Sulaya Relief Center as an example and lamented that it was only 7 meters away from the next house.
The minister added that the current government aims to establish education and transformation locations for upbringing centres. However, he pointed out that in the current environment, the goal is difficult to achieve.
