Nigerian Correctional Service Confirms Mass Release of Inmates Over Paid Fines

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has disclosed that a total of 28,149 inmates were released across the country in 2024 after their fines and compensations were paid.

According to the NCoS spokesperson, the releases were part of ongoing efforts to decongest correctional facilities nationwide and reintegrate reformed offenders back into society. Many of the freed inmates had been serving short-term sentences or were unable to pay relatively small fines, leading to prolonged incarceration.

The payments were reportedly made through a combination of government interventions, non-governmental organizations, religious bodies, and individual philanthropists who sought to give inmates a second chance.

“The release of these inmates is in line with our commitment to rehabilitation and reintegration,” the NCoS noted, stressing that ex-inmates would also benefit from skill acquisition programmes to aid their reintegration.

Despite this mass release, Nigeria’s correctional facilities remain overcrowded, with thousands still awaiting trial ,a challenge experts say requires broader criminal justice reforms beyond fine payments.