BY Inalegwu Shaibu
ABUJA — Comptroller General of Nigeria Prison Service, NPS, Mr. Biodun Ogundipe, Monday, said the Federal Government spends N200 per day to feed prison inmates.

The figures showed that government spends N9.8 million per month and N3.5 billion annually to feed prisoners in all the prisons facilities across the country.

Ogundipe, who made the disclosure at the public hearing on the Bill for an act to transfer convicted offenders (2011) convened by the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights, however, said the N200 was to feed the prisoners three times a day.

He also told the committee that the number of Nigerians serving jail terms abroad is on the rise as they constitute nine percent of the total prison inmates in Switzerland, adding that Nigerian prisons have the capacity to admit Nigerian prisoners that may be transferred from British prisons.

He said: “Nine percent of total prisoners in Swiss prisons are Nigerians. Nigeria has the highest number of prisoners in that country as they come after Swiss that has a total of 22 per cent of inmates, and all the them are serving jail terms on drug related offences.”

Ogundipe, who also spoke on the problem of prison congestion, put the total number of inmates at 49,000, with about 38,000 of them on the awaiting trial list.

He blamed the congestions on awaiting trials, citing the Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Kano Prisons as examples whose facilities have been overcrowded.

He said: “Congestions are experienced in places like the Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Kano Prisons where a Prison’s capacity to take 800 inmates takes an excess of about 3,000.”

He added that while prison facilities were being over stretched in some states, other facilities like the Ogoja Prisons with the capacity to take 400 inmates was being under-utilised as it currently has 100 inmates, also Ikot Ekpene with the capacity for 300 inmates has 120.

On transfer of prisoners, he said not every Nigerian prisoner in British Prisons had the qualification to be transferred, adding that those with close family ties, dual citizenship and minor offenders may not be qualified and that even those that were qualified must give their consent before such a transfer could be effected.

He added that Nigeria has 561 prisoners in British Prisons that could be transferred to prisons at home, saying the Prisons Service has begun the processes for transfer of about 12 to 14 Nigerian prisoners who have voluntarily indicated interest to be transferred to Nigeria.