By Edwin Philip
None custodial measures of the Nigerian Correctional Service which is aimed at decongesting the correctional centres in Nigeria came under the search light of the day 4 of the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, Cruel, Inhumane, and Degrading Treatment Against, the Nigerian Correctional Service, holding at Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
The panel following the presentation of the Nigerian Correctional Service said that they will like to have accurate details of the number of staff, structures, facilities, persons, organisations, plans and other data needed for the effective documentation, management and implementation of the non custodial measures to achieve the purpose that is was established.
The issues of fine, compensation, the number Inmates that were released, the contribution of stakeholders, making reference to the gesture of the Minister of interior, whom in December 2023, was able to provide support that benefited four thousand and eighty six inmates charge with fine amounting to five hundred and eighty five million Naira, which was said to mobilised through his friends.
While seeking for a comprehensive information on all of the persons currently in all of the custodial centers in the nation, also demanded that the legal aid counsel of Nigeria should provide in all of the instances where counsel has provided fine for inmates, while pleading with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take steps add it voice in relation to having efficient fine system.
The panel however looked at better utilization of non custodial measures, the issues of some persons been unable to pay their fine and gone ahead to serve their sentences in place of those fines, while evaluating generally the implementation of section 37(1) of the Nigerian Correctional Service act of 2019, in terms of different non custodial measures, with reference to community service non custodial measures.
The attention of the Correctional Service was drawned to the number of persons who they had in their record had been administered each of this non custodial measures, requesting that the statistics be broken down State by States, in order to understand if some States are doing better than the others.
Several discussions and presentations were made around budgetary allocation, the panel was dissatisfied with the situation where clear provision in law are violated, something that when implemented will safe money for the government yet there is no funding to meet that, the panel directed the Nigerian Correctional Service to submit it report since the inception of the non custodial measures sometimes around 2019 or 2020 in order to know the amount that has come to non custodial department.
Moreover, the panel demanded to know which of this years did the correctional service infused the request for funding of the non custodial measures, so as to know where to start in order to make recommendations and get proper understanding of what transpired and the service had never made budgetary request to it or submitted in the budget but it was removed.
On staffing in the non custodial directorate, they sought to know the breakdown of numbers of staff that are currently serving under the non custodial directorate which was mentioned as one thousand five hundred and sixty three, which according to the presentation of service, the highest number is in Kebbi with one hundred and thirty one, the lowest is in Imo with 7, while taking cognisance the new recruitment of plans are on ground, to enlist them into the non custodial.
The presentation by the chairperson panel of parole board of Lagos State and that of UNICEF as well as other civil society organizations was referred to the close section of the last day the third public hearing.
The chairperson of the panel, Dr. Magdalen Ajani was applauded for painstakingly coordinating the investigating panel and it a clear direction which has so far yielded results.