72 Female Inmates On Death Row – Correctional Service

Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed that 72 female inmates are awaiting the hangman’s noose at the various custodial centres across the country after being found guilty of capital offences.

The Service’s spokesman, Abubakar Umar, told newsmen during a media parley yesterday  that out of the 3,413 inmates on death row at the various custodial facilities nationwide, 3,341 were male while the remainder were female.

LEADERSHIP Weekend, however, reports that the death row population remains very low for women in comparison to men.

A top source at the NCoS headquarters told our correspondent that, approximately, over 30 of the female IDRs (inmates on death row) had exhausted all appeals, adding that 60 per cent of the female prisoners on death row appear to face more challenging conditions, such as solitary confinement and a lack of privacy.

According to the source, who pleaded not to be named, “These women live in a single cell under near-constant surveillance by a team of mixed stern guards.

“It’s sad that even the married ones are deprived of all their belongings, including books, wedding rings, pictures of their spouses, kids and other family members.

“In fact, some of them are among the growing population of ageing inmates on death row.”

Giving a further breakdown, Umar said, ‘We have a total of 77,849 inmates, comprising 76,081 males and 1,768 females. The breakdown according to their classes is as follows: convicted inmates 18,935 males and 357 females; awaiting trial persons (ATPs) 52,512 males and 1,324 females; lifers 1,293 males as against 15 females. We also have 3,341 male inmates on death row and 72 IDRs, putting the entire figure of inmates in custody at 76,081 males and 1,768 females.

Umar lamented that the number of Awaiting Trial Persons (ATP) in custody constitutes 69 percent of the total inmate population, and said that the high number of ATPs is a phenomenon that is challenging for the service, but was quick to add that they were working towards alleviating the conundrum and providing judicial guarantees for them.

He also said that the NCoS, within the period under review, enhanced the fortification of custodial facilities from external attacks and aggression. This even as he said they did not record any form of internal insurrection from within their facilities. This result, according to the service spokesman, is largely attributed to adequate provision of the basic needs and necessities of inmates, as well as the proactive efforts of the service through the deployment of technology in surveillance and logistical provisions for rapid response in and around custodial facilities.

The spokesman also disclosed that no fewer than 1,840 prison inmates and juveniles sat for the 2023 NECO / WAEC examinations, while several others were currently pursuing their various degree programmes at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to enhance their status.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the opportunity to study granted the inmates through free education is part of NOUN’s corporate social responsibility.

The inmates were allowed to enroll for university education as part of new reforms being implemented by the federal government to make life out of prison meaningful for the ex-convicts.