Plans to relocate the over 200-year-old Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nassarawa State, have been finalized. The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this during a tour to inspect the dilapidated and overcrowded facility. Despite recent rehabilitation efforts, including the construction of new perimeter fencing, the facility remains significantly overburdened.
During his inspection of the custodial centre, originally built in 1820 and located within Keffi town, Dr. Tunji-Ojo expressed concern over the high inmate population. Designed to accommodate 340 inmates, the centre now houses 750 inmates, of which 605 are awaiting trial.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo also inspected the ongoing construction of a 3,000-capacity Custodial Centre in Karshi, Abuja. He noted some reservations about the location but emphasized that the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Interior Ministry would work together to address these issues.
“Our correctional centres have evolved from prisons to a Correctional Service, signaling a shift from incarceration to transformation, reformation, and correction,” Dr. Tunji-Ojo stated. He highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in the ideology governing these facilities.
Regarding the Keffi custodial centres, Dr. Tunji-Ojo noted the severe overcrowding. “In Keffi alone, we have the two correctional centres, Keffi New and Keffi Old, housing over 1,000 inmates in total. This number is nearly 1,500, which is quite significant,” he said. The Minister acknowledged that many inmates from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are transferred to these centres.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo also emphasized the importance of robust perimeter fencing to prevent incidents like the one in Suleja, Niger State. “We are heavily investing in perimeter fencing. Previously, the fencing was just barbed wire, transparent for everyone to see inside. Now, the concrete fencing is complete,” he explained. This effort is part of a broader infrastructure audit aimed at enhancing security across the 256 correctional centres in Nigeria, many of which are over a century old.
Reflecting on the age of the Keffi facility, Dr. Tunji-Ojo remarked, “When I speak of 1820, you know, this is 2024, which tells you that this correctional centre is arguably over 200 years old. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not become president 200 years ago.”
The Minister underscored the impact of urbanization on the custodial centre, noting that civilian houses now share fences with the facility, which is unsustainable. “We have to think about relocation because of the effects of urbanization. We will be putting everything in motion to upgrade the facility and build more facilities in Keffi New to relocate the Keffi Old to Keffi New,” he stated.
