By Nafisat Makinde
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed a 2.73% increase in prisoners on death row, from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025. This rise of 98 prisoners within six months is a pressing concern for the NCoS. Acting Controller-General Sylvester Nwakuche disclosed this information during his screening for the position of substantive controller-general, on Wednesday, 12th, 2025.
Nwakuche emphasized that the majority of inmates are awaiting trials. He identified state governors as part of the challenge, as they refuse to execute or commute death sentences to life imprisonment. “Inmates on death row are now 3688 from 3,590 in September 2024. State governors are part of our challenges. They refuse to execute inmates on the death row; neither do they commute their death sentence to life imprisonment.”
Nwakuche suggested that commuting death sentences would facilitate the distribution of prisoners to less congested rural facilities. “If they commute death sentences to life imprisonment, it is easier for us to distribute them to rural correctional facilities which are not as congested as those in urban correctional facilities.”
The acting comptroller-general stressed the importance of collaboration with other security agencies to address the issue of awaiting trials and decongest prisons. “This is very important for any establishment to forge ahead. An establishment like correctional centres cannot do anything without collaboration.”
Nwakuche also lamented the slow pace of the justice system, citing cases where inmates have stayed in facilities for five to six years without resolution. “The dispensation of justice system is very slow. When I met with the Inspector-General of Police, I said some of your inmates are in our facilities. They have stayed up to five or six years. Some of them are not needed to be in our facilities any longer.”
In his address, Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), said the committee would submit its report based on the performance of the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
