Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced plans to relocate several correctional centres to improve space, security, and infrastructure. The minister made this commitment during a visit to the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre, where 119 inmates escaped following a rainstorm that damaged the facility.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized the need to relocate many correctional centres to more conducive environments, citing the overcrowding at the Suleja facility, which was built in 1914 to house 250 inmates but housed 499 before the incident.
He stated, "You can look at the environment; it shows that we need to relocate them away from city centres to create better space, better security, and better infrastructure." The ministry is already working on a new correctional system to address these issues.
The minister assured that such incidents would not occur again in any other facility across the country. He emphasized the need for timely dissemination of information about the condition of correctional facilities to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Tunji-Ojo concluded, "We will get them back and we will ensure this doesn't happen again anywhere in the country."
