Suleja Prisons, Reported by Senate as 100 years old, Built From Mud.
The recent situation at Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre has been discussed by the Senate. They clarified what led to the reported jailbreak that happened there two weeks ago.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who leads the Senate Committee on Interior, spoke to journalists after meeting with Minister of Interior Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. He explained that what occurred in Suleja wasn’t exactly a jailbreak. Instead, it was due to the old walls of the prison collapsing. These walls were built using local muds more than a century ago.
On April 24th, 2024, there was a reported jailbreak at Suleja in Niger State. This resulted in 119 inmates escaping from the Correctional Facility.
When Minister Tunji-Ojo visited the affected facility two weeks ago, he mentioned plans by the government to relocate some Correctional Centres. This move aims to provide better space, security, and infrastructure for these facilities.
The Senate acknowledged the efforts made by the Minister and security agencies. They mentioned that some of the escaped inmates have been re-arrested, and they are working to track down more in the upcoming days.
This prison we’re talking about was built in 1914, around the time when Southern and Northern Nigeria joined together. Back then, it held about 200 people, but now it has 419 inmates. Some parts of the prison were made using mud.
Now, let’s talk about what happened recently. It wasn’t really a jailbreak. There was heavy rain and a strong storm, which caused parts of the prison wall and roof to collapse. Imagine if you were at home during a storm, and suddenly your roof and walls fell apart. Would you stay in that house? Probably not!
So, naturally, some inmates took the opportunity to escape. The good news is that the authorities have the means to track them down. They’ve already caught some of the escapees, and they’re still working hard to find the rest.
During a private meeting, a Senator praised the Minister of Interior’s report on the situation. They’re happy with how things are being handled. However, they also talked about the need to invest more resources in modernizing prisons. Prisons should focus on correction and rehabilitation, not just punishment.
We all agree that something needs to be done about the old prisons we have. They were built a long time ago and don’t meet the standards we need. Just fixing them here and there won’t solve the problem. We should use our position in the National Assembly to prepare and recognize this issue. Also, we can use modern technology to help us in this task.
The Ministry is also focusing on another important issue. Many people in our prisons haven’t been convicted yet. This is troubling because according to our laws, you are considered innocent until proven guilty. It’s sad to see so many people in this situation.
Sometimes, people get into trouble and end up in prison. A Magistrate might quickly decide to keep them there, especially if someone important wants them detained. This leads to a lot of people in prison.
Another thing is that many of the people in prison are there for breaking state laws. According to the constitution, the state is supposed to take care of people convicted of state crimes.
When biased or neglectful decisions lead to people being imprisoned, it costs the government a lot of money to feed and take care of them properly. But right now, the states are making decisions without taking responsibility for the costs. Most of the crimes that lead to imprisonment are state crimes, not federal ones.
There are some changes that need to happen. The Senate wants to visit prisons, talk to people, and find out what’s going on. They’ve found that some people are in prison just because they couldn’t pay small fines, which ends up costing more to keep them locked up than the fines would have.
There are things we can do differently without spending more money. We need the willingness to review what we’ve always accepted. Many innocent people without connections are stuck in prison, and we want to change that without encouraging more crime. Figuring this out will take careful work.
The Senate is happy with Tunji-Ojo, the Ministry of Interior, and others involved, saying they’re doing a good job. Oshiomhole praised the minister for his determination and said they’re ready to support him with laws and resources.
The minister confirmed that they discussed issues at Suleja Prisons and have plans to prevent similar problems in the future. They’re working to make sure the correctional system is safe for all inmates, with support from the government and key figures like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
