The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has disclosed that 3,688 inmates are currently on death row across various correctional facilities nationwide. Acting Comptroller-General Sylvester Nwakuche revealed this during his screening before the Senate Committee on Interior on Wednesday.
Nwakuche, recently nominated by President Bola Tinubu as the substantive comptroller-general, stated that the number of death row inmates increased from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025, further exacerbating prison congestion.
Nigeria remains among the countries yet to abolish the death penalty despite international pressure. However, state governors, who hold the final authority to approve executions, have been reluctant to act, worsening prison overcrowding.
Highlighting this challenge, Nwakuche emphasized that governors’ reluctance to either execute inmates or commute their sentences to life imprisonment has significantly contributed to congestion. He noted that if death sentences were commuted, affected inmates could be relocated to less crowded rural correctional facilities.
Beyond death row concerns, he also stressed the need for collaboration with security and justice agencies to address the rising number of awaiting-trial inmates, many of whom have been held for years without trial. Some detainees, he noted, have been incarcerated longer than their potential sentences if convicted.
To tackle these issues, Nwakuche has initiated discussions with the Nigeria Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), State Security Services (SSS), and the Attorney-General of the Federation, urging collaboration to decongest prisons. He warned that without coordinated efforts, overcrowding would persist.
The Senate Committee on Interior, chaired by Adams Oshiomhole, assured Nwakuche that his performance would be evaluated, with a report submitted to the Senate. He was accompanied to the screening by senior NCoS officials.
Source: Swifteradio.com
