The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) has disclosed that over 1,000 inmates are currently pursuing various university degree programmes across its facilities.
The Service said that while six are studying for a PhD, over 1,000 are undergraduates, 282 are on their diploma and Master’s degree.
Spokesperson for the service, Umar Abubakar, revealed this while speaking at the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee’s monthly press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
He stated that the academic pursuit was a result of the conducive environment created for inmates to fulfill their mandate of reformation and rehabilitation.
He said: "Let me say here that currently in an effort to ensure that we have what I refer to as public safety through our reformatory activities, we have over 1,000 of our inmates who are actually going through their various degree programme, 282 doing their diploma and master’s degree programme, and six that are doing their PhD programme. Three of the PhD students are already writing their thesis.
“All this is geared towards our efforts to ensure that we change the psyche and behaviour of our inmates and to help their re-entry back to society.
“It is the care we give to these inmates in our custody that has provided a serene environment to help them learn skill acquisition across our custodial centre.”
Umar also disclosed that the federal government had increased the feeding allowance for prison inmates.
The increase in feeding allowance of inmates’ follows a recent viral video in which inmates at a correctional centre in Calabar, Cross River State, complained about inadequate feeding.
But the NCS spokesperson said the increment was a result of the rising cost of food, adding that “The viral video is not a representation of Nigeria Correctional Service, nor is it a mandate of the service on reformation and rehabilitation of inmates.
"Let me make this known here that since the inception of the change in name, significant progress has been made in reforming those who are in our custody.
“Four days ago, I granted an interview where we gave details on the alleged video. The NCoS has actually ordered a detailed investigation of the said video, which is going viral. And on the outcome of the investigation, I may not be able to speak much on that.
“And on the issue of the cost of food, the Federal Government has actually reviewed the feeding allowance of inmates in our custody with 50 per cent. And this is just the first phase of the review.”
