The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed that the number of prisoners on death row has risen from 3,688 in March 2025, compared to 3,590 in September 2024, marking a “2.73 percent increase,” which translates to 98 additional inmates within six months.
Speaking on Wednesday during a screening by the Senate Committee on Interior, Sylvester Nwakuche, the acting Controller-General of NCoS, highlighted that the reluctance of state governors to either execute death row inmates or commute their sentences to life imprisonment is a significant challenge.
“Inmates on death row are now 3,688, up from 3,590 in September 2024. State governors are part of our challenges,” said Nwakuche.
He explained that transferring inmates serving life sentences to rural correctional facilities would help address overcrowding, as congestion is primarily an issue in urban areas.
Call for Cooperation to Resolve Awaiting Trial Cases
Nwakuche emphasized the necessity of collaboration between the NCoS and security agencies to tackle the high number of inmates awaiting trial.
“This is very important for any establishment to move forward. We at correctional centers cannot do anything alone because we are at the receiving end of the products of all prosecuting agencies,” he stated.
He pointed out that agencies such as the Nigeria Police, EFCC, DSS, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and ICPC are responsible for bringing inmates to correctional facilities and must also play a role in ensuring justice is served efficiently.
“When I met with the Inspector-General of Police, I pointed out that some inmates have been in our facilities for up to five or six years. Some of them should not be there any longer,” he said.
“If they had been sentenced, some of them would not have spent more than two to three years in prison. But they have remained in our facilities for six years. For me, such persons should be discharged and acquitted. That is one area where we must collaborate to decongest our facilities.”
He further disclosed that he had engaged with the Director-General of DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation to address delays in obtaining legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which keeps many inmates in custody for prolonged periods.
“If we do not reach out to these agencies, our people will continue to suffer unnecessarily in prisons,” he added.
Meanwhile, Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, affirmed that the committee would take Nwakuche’s performance into account when preparing its report.
