By Akpevwe Okuse
The Federal Government disclosed yesterday that it will initiate processes to relocate Ikoyi prison and other prisons from urban centers to another area.
The Ikoyi prison, established in 1955, is situated in the upscale Ikoyi area on Lagos Island.
Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ program that the expansion of cities and urban areas has led to the encroachment on the land surrounding correctional centers, which should be kept clear for security and safety reasons.
Tunji-Ojo said: “Under this administration, we’ve not had any jail attack; what we’ve had was force majeure which was Suleja because that particular correctional center was built in 1914. It’s about 110 years old.
“President Tinubu was not President a 110 years old. He inherited 256 correctional centers that needed attention. There is no way he would have completely overhauled it in one year.
“I must talk about urbanization. Look at Suleja, for example, the Suleja correctional center that came down was only 7 meters away from the next house. Instead of what the law says which is a buffer space of 100 metres. So, urbanization has eaten deep.
“Look at Ikoyi Correctional Centre sharing a fence with (another house). What’s (a) the prison doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at being able to initiate the process of possibly relocating some of these correctional centers.”
He stated that the government would soon begin an “inmate audit” across the 256 correctional facilities in the country and sanitize them by releasing those who should not be there in the first place.
Tunji-Ojo stated that President Bola Tinubu inherited numerous old correctional centers in need of attention. However, the government has commenced the renovation and reconstruction of some prisons in Nigeria.
“We’ve renovated over 10 correctional centers under this administration,” he said, adding that the government has done “magic in the Kuje correctional center,” he added.