The Nigerian Correctional Service has recorded a slight decline in the number of inmates held in custodial centres across the country between February and April 2026.
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Latest data published on April 13, 2026, on the service’s website and obtained by our correspondent on Saturday put the total number of inmates at 79,109, compared to 80,812 recorded as of February 9, 2026.
The earlier figure was disclosed by the Controller-General, Sylvester Nwakuche, during a budget defence session before the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions.
Despite the decrease of 1,703 inmates, awaiting trial cases continue to account for the largest share of the custodial population.
In February, the service revealed 51,955 inmates awaiting trial, representing 64 per cent of the total population. The latest figures indicate a slight drop to 51,663 awaiting trial inmates in April.
Conversely, the number of convicted inmates increased within the same period. While 24,913 inmates were convicted in February, the April data showed a rise to 27,446 convicted inmates, suggesting gradual progress in the adjudication of pending cases.
A breakdown of the April statistics revealed that male inmates dominate the custodial population, accounting for 77,248, while female inmates stand at 1,861.
Similarly, among awaiting trial inmates, 50,301 are male, and 1,362 are female.
During the defence, Nwakuche described the service as “a key component of Nigeria’s criminal justice system, responsible for safe custody, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates, as well as the implementation of non-custodial measures.”
He raised concerns about the “strain on facilities”, many of which were built decades ago and now operate far beyond their intended capacity.
Experts have long attributed congestion in custodial centres to delays in investigation and prosecution, frequent court adjournments, poor access to legal representation for indigent defendants, and the slow adoption of non-custodial measures.
The persistent imbalance between convicted and awaiting trial inmates continues to drive overcrowding across facilities nationwide.
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