The Federal Government is considering relocating the Ikoyi prison and several other prisons from urban areas to other locations.
The Ikoyi prison, established in 1955, currently sits in the upscale Ikoyi area on Lagos Island.
Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Thursday, highlighted on Channels Television’s Politics Today program that urban development has encroached on the necessary setbacks around correctional facilities across the country.
“Under this administration, we’ve not had any jail attack; what we’ve had was force majeure which was Suleja because that particular correctional centre was built in 1914. It’s about 110 years old.
“President Tinubu was not President a 110 years old. He inherited 256 correctional centres that needed attention. There is no way he would have completely overhaul it in one year.
“I must talk about urbanisation. Look at Suleja, for example, the Suleja correctional centre that came down was only 7 metres away from the next house. Instead of what the law says which is a buffer space of 100 metres. So, urbanisation has eaten deep.
“Look at Ikoyi Correctional Centre sharing a fence with (another house). What’s (a) prison doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at being able to initiate the process of possibly relocating some of these correctional centres,” The minister said.
He added that the government would soon initiate an ‘inmate audit’ across the 256 correctional centers in the country to review the cases of those incarcerated and release those who are wrongfully detained.
Tunji-Ojo noted that President Bola Tinubu inherited numerous outdated correctional facilities requiring attention, but the government has already commenced the renovation and reconstruction of some prisons in Nigeria.
“We’ve renovated over 10 correctional centres under this administration,” he said, adding that the government has done “magic in the Kuje correctional centre,” he added.
