The Federal Government is planning to relocate Ikoyi Prison and other correctional centres away from urban areas. This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Built in 1955, Ikoyi Prison is situated in a prime area of Lagos Island, sharing its high fence with residential buildings. Tunji-Ojo highlighted that many prison facilities in the country have been encroached upon by urbanisation, with some being only a few metres away from nearby houses.
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. President Tinubu was not President 110 years ago. He inherited 256 correctional centres that needed attention. There is no way he would have completely overhauled it in one year.
“I must talk about urbanisation. Look at Suleja, for example, the Suleja correctional centre that came down was only seven metres away from the next house. Instead of what the law says, which is a buffer space of 100 metres. So, urbanisation has eaten deep.
“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.”
The minister also announced that the government would soon commence an “inmate audit” across the 256 correctional centres in the country. According to him, this will help to sanitise the prison facilities by freeing inmates who don’t have any business being there in the first instance.
Additionally, he noted that the government has started the renovation and rebuilding of some of the old prisons in the country.
