Buhari describes congestion of prisons as a national scandal

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the state of the nation’s prisons as a national scandal.

Speaking when he hosted judges on Friday, Buhari said there is need to put in place urgent measures to decongest the prisons across the country.

He said the call for decongestion is necessary not only in the interest of justice but to save the cost of prisons’ maintenance and boost the welfare of prisoners.

“We need a new approach to prison congestion. It is a national scandal that many prisons are overcrowded by 90 percent,” Buhari said.

“Urgent new measures should be put place to speedily decongest the prisons not only in the interest of justice but to save cost of prisons’ maintenance and welfare of prisoners.

“My attorney-general is advocating establishment of courts inside the prisons to speed up decongestion.” he said.

On review of the conditions of service of the judicial staff, the president directed the office of the attorney-general of the federation to take up the issue with the Salary and Wages Commission and advise him for prompt action.

He said his administration was not unmindful of the challenges facing the judiciary, saying that the increased budgetary allocation to the judiciary in the 2017 fiscal year would be sustained.

Buhari lamented that huge sums were being spent on security, especially in the north-east and Niger Delta regions, instead of meaningful development, to better the lives of citizens.

Earlier, Onnoghen thanked God for healing Buhari and reassured the president that the judiciary would continue to do its best for the country.