Abuja: The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, has decried the deplorable state of correctional facilities in the country. Speaking at CBCN’s first plenary in 2025, in Abuja, Ugorji called for urgent reforms to address overcrowding, inhumane treatment of inmates, and delays in the judicial process.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the conference has as its theme: ‘Jubilee of Hope: A Light for a New Nigeria’. Ugorji commended the law that shifted the focus of prisons from a punitive system to one centered on rehabilitation and reintegration. He highlighted that the law provides for medical, psychological, spiritual, and vocational training programs to aid inmates’ reintegration into society. However, he criticized the implementation of the law as largely ineffective, describing Nigeria’s correctional centres as outdated, ill-maintained, overcrowded, and unhygienic.
The Archbishop noted that the unsanitary conditions of the correctional centres are notorious for their offensive odours, which encourage the spread of disease. He pointed out that inmates are often crammed into overcrowded, squalid cells, with about 20 people in a cell meant for five. This situation forces inmates to sleep in shifts due to lack of space. Essential amenities such as food, potable water, and medical care are often unavailable.
Ugorji highlighted that depending on the correctional centre, the number of inmates awaiting trial ranges from 60 to 90 percent, resulting in suspects staying in the facility for many years longer than they would have if sentenced promptly. He further noted that many inmates are subjected to inhumane and degrading physical and psychological abuse, leading to severe emotional disturbances, including anxiety and depression.
The Archbishop emphasized that such mistreatment is an affront to human dignity and rights. He called on the government to uphold the fundamental rights of inmates and treat them with dignity. Ugorji advocated for the fast-tracking of the judicial process to prevent prolonged detention without trial and suggested decongesting correctional centres by granting pardons to well-behaved minor offenders. He also urged the upgrading of existing facilities and the construction of new ones to ease overcrowding.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the event, Mr. Steve Adehi, called on the Church to play its role in realizing a new Nigeria. He noted the paradox that while Nigeria is known for having the happiest people globally, Nigerians also lead the misery index rating.