NHRC Blames Increasing Number Of Prison Inmates On Poverty

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has declared that poverty, rather than criminality alone, is the major driver of overcrowding in Nigeria’s correctional centres.

It, however, secured the release of eight indigent inmates at the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre by paying their court-imposed fines.

The intervention, carried out in collaboration with Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBB) to commemorate the 2026 Nelson Mandela International Day, saw both organisations committing nearly N900,000 to settle fines for low-risk inmates who had remained in custody solely because they could not afford to pay.

The executive secretary of NHRC, Dr Tony Ojukwu (SAN), said the continued detention of inmates over unpaid fines exposes the deep connection between poverty, inequality and the nation’s criminal justice system.

Speaking during the exercise on Wednesday, Ojukwu said this year’s Nelson Mandela Day theme, “It’s Still in Our Hands to Combat Poverty and Inequity,” aptly captures the reality in Nigeria, where economic hardship is pushing many citizens into conflict with the law while also preventing deserving inmates from regaining their freedom.

He said many of those occupying correctional facilities are not hardened criminals but indigent offenders trapped behind bars because they lack the financial capacity to pay relatively small fines ordered by the courts.

“Most crimes that bring people into custody are often rooted in poverty. When you look at the fines that continue to keep low-risk inmates behind bars, you can see how poverty and inequity sustain overcrowding in our correctional facilities,” he said.

According to him, justice should not be limited to punishment but should also promote rehabilitation, human dignity and successful reintegration into society.

Ojukwu noted that, beyond monitoring detention facilities, the Commission has continued to take practical steps to improve inmates’ welfare, including paying fines for indigent inmates, providing relief materials, and supporting rehabilitation programmes designed to help former inmates rebuild their lives.

He appealed to wealthy Nigerians, corporate organisations, and development partners to support efforts to decongest correctional facilities, stressing that rehabilitated inmates still have meaningful contributions to make to national development.

The NHRC boss recalled that during the 2025 Nelson Mandela Day celebration, the Commission facilitated the release of four inmates by paying their fines, donated welfare materials, and organised training for correctional officers on the implementation of the United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules.

He explained that this year’s activities expanded on those efforts with additional inmate releases, distribution of hygiene materials and further capacity building for correctional personnel.

Programme Coordinator of Hope Behind Bars Africa, Hassan Nurudeen Olanrewaju, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to improving access to justice and reducing recidivism through education, vocational training and rehabilitation programmes.

He said the organisation works across correctional facilities nationwide to equip inmates with practical skills and educational opportunities that would enable them to become productive citizens upon their release.

“From the name Nigerian Correctional Service, people should come out corrected. Government cannot do it alone, and that is why organisations like ours are supporting the rehabilitation process,” he said.

Olanrewaju disclosed that Hope Behind Bars contributed about N400,000 towards securing the release of four inmates. In comparison, the NHRC paid the fines of four other inmates, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to eight, and nearly N900,000 was expended during the exercise.

He added that the intervention would not end with the Mandela Day celebration, revealing that the organisation plans to return to the custodial centre next week to facilitate the release of more deserving inmates.

As part of the commemoration, the NHRC and its partners also organised sensitisation sessions for correctional officers on the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, popularly known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, as well as the Bangkok Rules, to promote humane treatment of inmates and strengthen correctional reforms across the country.

Nelson Mandela International Day is observed annually to honour the late South African leader, whose 27 years of imprisonment became a global symbol of the struggle for justice, human dignity and prison reform.