The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) says 64 percent of inmates in custodial centres nationwide are awaiting trial.
Sylvester Nwakuche, controller-general of the NCoS, disclosed this on Wednesday while defending the service’s 2026 budget before the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions.
As of February 9, he said the total inmate population stood at 80,812, comprising 51,955 awaiting trial inmates and 24,913 convicted persons.
Nwakuche described the NCoS as a “critical institution within the criminal justice system, responsible for custodial and non-custodial services and safe custody of legally detained persons, as well as their rehabilitation and reintegration as law-abiding citizens”.
He said N184.63 billion was allocated in 2025 for personnel, overhead and capital expenditure. Of the N124.31 billion earmarked for personnel, N112.68 billion — 90.6 percent — was released and fully utilised for salaries and related payments.
He added that N27.28 billion was spent on inmate feeding, leaving outstanding food liabilities of N10.75 billion, while N6.49 billion covered operational costs.
For 2026, the service proposed N198.85 billion, including N138.30 billion for personnel to cater to a projected workforce of 37,541 officers.
Chinedu Ogah, chairman of the committee, said urgent reforms are needed, noting that many correctional centres are ageing and prone to security breaches.