Nigeria to free half its inmates
Nigeria is to set free about half of all prisoners to reduce overcrowding. Up to 25,000 people, including the sick, the elderly and those with HIV will be freed, said Justice Minister Bayo Ojo.
Those who have been awaiting trial for longer than the sentences they face and those whose case files have been lost by the authorities will also benefit.
Correspondents say many people wait up to 10 years, often in awful conditions, for their case to come to trial.
Human rights groups say death rates are unacceptably high for inmates who endure overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
“The issue of awaiting-trial inmates has become an endemic problem in Nigeria… The conditions of the prisons are just too terrible. The conditions negate the essence of prison which is to reform,” Mr Ojo said.
Source: BBC.
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