• NCoS operationalises Ibadan correctional centre, admits 80 inmates

Stakeholders in the criminal justice sector have called for increased funding and synergy to sustain the implementation of non-custodial measures, describing the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) Act 2019 as a shift from punitive incarceration to restorative justice.
   
Speaking at a policy dialogue in Abuja, the NCoS Controller-General, Sylvester Nwakuche, disclosed that the agency had successfully transitioned from mere policy formulation to practical implementation.
   
In the meantime, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has formally commenced operations at the new Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Olojuoro-Olomi, Ibadan, Oyo State, with an initial admission of 80 convicted male inmates.
   
The operationalisation of the facility followed the approval by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and a directive from the NCoS Controller-General, Sylvester Nwakuche, to transfer selected inmates from designated centres pending the facility’s formal commissioning.
   
A statement from the Public Relations Officer, Jane Osuji, disclosed that the new facility has a capacity of 800 inmates, with plans to expand to 3,000 upon full completion, which will include specialised cells for awaiting-trial persons, female inmates, and those on death row.
   
Meanwhile, Nwakuche, who was represented by the Assistant-Controller General in charge of Non-Custodial Services, Timothy Dabit, noted that Section 37 of the Act empowered NCoS to effectively administer community service, probation, parole, and other viable alternatives to imprisonment.
   
However, criminologist and prison reform expert, Dr Uju Agomoh, cautioned against focusing solely on the financial savings of decongesting custodial facilities, noting that non-custodial measures mitigate the severe psychological and systemic tolls associated with prolonged incarceration.
   
Beyond costs related to medication and activities within correctional centres, she listed coming into contact with other offenders and the possible consequences of prolonged exposure to the custodial environment as other costs.
   
Also speaking, the Project Manager for Criminal Justice Reform at the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC Phase II) programme, Dr Oluwatoyin Badejogbin, stressed that sustaining institutional gains requires adequate budgetary allocation.
   
Badejogbin, whose initiative is funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA, urged justice sector actors to unite to ensure the release of funds and the actual utilisation of non-custodial measures, stating that the NCoS cannot drive the current reforms alone without adequate funding and a robust community of practice.
   
Similarly, Board Chair of PRAWA, Chris Enenya, noted that while legal provisions now exist, the primary challenge remains translating them into consistent, effective, and accountable practice.
   
According to him, a non-custodial measure requires a court that has confidence in it, practitioners who understand how it should operate, correctional officers who can supervise it effectively, and communities that can support its successful implementation.