By John Ile, Abuja
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said, on Thursday, that the Federal Government freed over 4,000 inmates in the correctional facilities, as part of decongestion efforts, thereby, saving N1bn in inmate feeding costs.
The minister revealed this while speaking at the 5th Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the initiative identified many detainees who were incarcerated for minor fines, leading to their swift release.
He said, “We decongested our correctional centres by five per cent last year,” Tunji-Ojo explained.
“Last year, just over 4,000 inmates were released in one day. All we did was conduct a detailed analysis and found that many inmates were there due to petty fines. This project allowed us to release over 4,082 inmates, saving the government N1bn year in feeding costs.”
He also revealed that in 2024, the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad destroyed over 2,125 illegal refineries and oil dumps across the country.
Tunji-Ojo highlighted that nearly 205 trucks carrying illegally refined petroleum products were seized, and more than 700 suspects were arrested in connection with these illicit activities.
The squad also secured 345 convictions, with an additional 187 cases still pending in court.