No fewer than 4,000 Nigerians are in various correctional facilities across the country due to their inability to pay fines and penalties awarded against them by the courts totaling N500 million.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who disclosed this while appearing on Arise News programme on Friday, stated that the Federal Government is working with some stakeholders to raise the N500 million fines.

Tunji-Ojo assured that the 4,000 inmates would be freed within the next four weeks.

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The minister said: “The ministry is working round the clock with other stakeholders to raise the money. Within the next four weeks, the fines would be cleared and the inmates would be released.

“Immediately I assumed office, I set up a committee to review the situation at our correctional centres. We discovered that over 4,000 inmates are in custody due to their inability to pay fines, which is about N500 million. We have gone far with private organisations to put this money together.

“I am sure that within the next four weeks, we will be able to pay these fines for the 4,000 inmates. This will help us in decongesting our custodial centres.”

Tunji-Ojo said he has been in talks with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on the decongestion of the correctional facilities and to address the challenge of awaiting trial inmates.

“The decongestion of our custodial centres is not the sole responsibility of the ministry. We are in talks with the AGF to see how cases can be expedited. We have also activated the non-custodial centres to decongest the custodial centres,” the minister said.

The Star