Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche, has revealed that the number of prisoners on death row in Nigeria has surged to 3,688, marking an increase of 98 inmates within six months.
Speaking during his screening before the Senate Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Nwakuche described the escalating crisis in correctional facilities as alarming, urging urgent collaboration between security agencies to expedite justice delivery and decongest prisons.
He blamed state governors for failing to execute death row inmates or commute their sentences to life imprisonment, a move that could ease congestion by transferring prisoners to less crowded rural facilities.
In his words “Our greatest challenge is the overwhelming number of inmates awaiting trial. This situation worsens daily because governors refuse to sign execution orders or convert death sentences to life terms,” Nwakuche stated.
He stressed the urgent need for synergy with the Nigeria Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to resolve cases of prolonged detention.
“There are inmates who have spent five or six years in our facilities without trial. Some of them would have served shorter sentences if convicted, yet they remain in prison indefinitely. We cannot continue this way,” he lamented.
The NCoS boss disclosed that he had personally engaged top security officials, including the Inspector-General of Police, the DSS Director-General, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, to address the slow pace of justice.
“Many inmates are simply waiting for the Director of Public Prosecution’s advice, yet their fate hangs in limbo. Without proactive engagement with relevant agencies, these individuals will continue to languish in prison unnecessarily,” he warned.
As the Senate Committee reviews his performance, Nwakuche vowed to drive reforms that would ensure speedy trials and the decongestion of correctional facilities nationwide.
