NCos officers lament shortage of inmates, call for more convictions in Cross River

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) in Cross River State has expressed concerns over a sharp decline in inmate numbers, stating that it is hindering farming and community service programmes.

Speaking at a two-day town hall meeting on the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), organised by CLEEN Foundation, Chief Superintendent of Corrections, Mr Ibiang Otu, representing the State Controller, Mr William Frai, revealed that the state’s six correctional facilities currently house 897 inmates, the lowest in Nigeria’s South-South region.

At the Adim facility, which supports farm settlements, only 37 inmates are present despite an official capacity of 200. Otu noted that more inmates are needed to sustain farming activities, urging courts to convict more offenders to either enhance or acquire farming skills.

“We need more inmates to help with farming activities. The courts should convict more suspects. However, only young offenders under 30, with minor crimes, are sent to Adim for six months of agricultural training,” he said.

While the Calabar Correctional Centre exceeds its capacity with 579 inmates instead of 450, other facilities, including Ikom, Ogoja, Obubra, and Obudu, remain underpopulated.

Otu attributed the decline to heightened advocacy by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the enforcement of ACJL, which encourages non-custodial sentencing.

He disclosed that 18 individuals are currently serving community service sentences but highlighted challenges in monitoring their compliance due to logistical issues.