The Deputy Comptroller of Corrections of the custodial facility in Suleja, Niger State, Ibrahim Yau, has revealed that the current economic situation in the country is making it difficult to provide decent meals to inmates under their custody.
Yau noted this in a statement during a visit by officials of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria to the facility as part of efforts to improve the conditions of inmates and provide free legal services.
SaharaReporters reports that the Deputy Comptroller lamented the poor daily feeding allowance which, according to him, is insufficient to provide decent meals for the inmates, adding that the centre’s capacity of 250 inmates had been stretched to 405.
He also praised NGOs for their assistance to the custodial centres because he believed the Nigerian government lacked the power to singlehandedly carter to the welfare of the inmates.
SaharaReporters recently reported how inmates at the Afikpo Correctional Centre in Ebonyi State alleged that they were not being well fed.
The inmates had also accused officials of the facility of stealing and diverting foodstuffs given to them by NGOs and other good Samaritans.
Some of them who spoke to SaharaReporters alleged that the prison personnel had been feeding them with “foods not fit for animals”.
“The meals we are being served in the prison are poor and horrible,” one of them said.
Another inmate added, “Though I didn’t expect to eat good food directly from the prison authorities but what about the ones NGOs and religious organisations donate to us. Some churches bring food for us every week but they’re being diverted by the officials.”
This report from Ebonyi had come after the Nigerian government through the Ministry of Interior ordered an investigation into the poor feeding conditions of inmates.
This followed a trending video showing inmates at Afokang Custodial Centre in Calabar being subjected to inhumane conditions, including being served poorly prepared beans for breakfast.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, through his spokesperson, Babatunde Alao, also issued a stern warning to prison officials, emphasizing that any deficiencies in the quality of food, sanitation, and overall welfare of inmates would not be tolerated.
