No fewer than 100 inmates were released in 2024 due to the oversight efforts of the House of Representatives Committee on Correctional Facilities, The Nation has learned.
Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero, representing Akoko North East/Akoko North West of Ondo State, revealed that the committee has played a key role in decongesting correctional facilities across the country. Marking his first year in office, Ehindero highlighted that the number excludes his personal interventions and those of other lawmakers.
Speaking during a media parley, he underscored the importance of legislative oversight, recounting firsthand observations of overcrowding in correctional centers during committee visits.
“The most challenging part was witnessing the justice administration system, where many correctional facilities are overcrowded,” Ehindero stated. “There is no law granting receiving officers the power to reject inmates. This means facilities must continue accepting inmates, even when overcrowded, leading to cases where individuals awaiting trial for minor offenses spend years behind bars.”
He noted that the committee, in collaboration with other government agencies, facilitated the release of 100 inmates by paying their fines and addressing unjust prolonged detentions.
Ehindero, recently appointed Chairman of the House Committee on Students Loan, Scholarships, Higher Education Financing, and the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), also outlined three key bills he has sponsored, emphasizing their significance to his constituency and the state.
