The Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has said the Federal Government has embarked on massive infrastructural development to ease congestion in the custodial centres across the country.
The Minister in his address at the commissioning of the newly constructed state headquarters, in Osun State Command in Osogbo yesterday explained that one of the gap the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had been grappling with since inception is infrastructural deficits which is virtually present in every sector of the nation.
This additional facility shall greatly boost the morale of officers to put in their best. Moreso, it is the firm believe of government that it will also keep those in the custodial facilities in good and healthy condition with optimal skills and formal education to make them useful to themselves and the society after their release.
He disclosed that, the entire capacity of the custodial facilities is 57, 278 but had 68,778 inmates which has over stretched the facility in the cities.
Federal Government is by this avenue requesting state governments to do the needful to ensure that all necessary measures are put in place to decongest these facilities of inmates who ordinarily should be released on time with quick determination of their cases at the state levels.
The Minister congratulated the management of the Custodial facilities on the safe keeping of the inmates in the face of COVID-19. He also said government has embarked on pardon of offenders with less cases in an attempt to decongest the facilities and to keep the inmates safe especially with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic across the nation.