FG Announces Plan to Relocate Ikoyi, Suleja Prisons, Gives Reason
- President Bola Tinubu's administration has opened up on plans to relocate major correctional centres in the country, including Ikoyi prison
- Tinubu's minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the plan on Thursday, June 6, citing urbanisation as the reason for the development
- The minister said Ikoyi Prison is close to the neighboring house, and Suleja Prison is just seven meters away from the next house, despite the law stating that prisons should be 100 meters away from the nearest residence
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FCT, Abuja - President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has announced plans to relocate the Ikoyi prison and some other correctional centres in the country from urban areas.
This was disclosed by Tinubu's minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during an interview on Channels TV on Thursday, June 6.
Source: Twitter
How urbanisation is affecting Nigerian prisons
According to the minister, urbanisation has caused a setback for some of the correctional centres in the country.
He 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 centre was built in 1914. It’s about 110 years old."
Tunji-Ojo said Tinubu was not made president 110 years ago and that he inherited 256 correctional centres that deserved attention.
The minister added that it was not easy for Tinubu to overhaul the correctional centres in one year.
Why Ikoyi prison should be relocated
He noted that the Suleja correctional centre was only seven meters from the next house, which was less than the law's stipulated distance. According to him, the law required correctional centres to be 100 meters from the next house.
He added:
“Look at Ikoyi Correctional Centre sharing a fence with (another house). What’s (a) correctional centre doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at being able to initiate the process of possibly relocating some of these correctional centres.”
Below is the video of the minister's interview:
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In an earlier report by Legit.ng, top analysts in the country ranked Tinubu's best ministers during the occasion of his first anniversary as president.
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Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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