N3.5bn has been approved by the FG for the purchase of cars to aid prisons decongestion

The Federal Government at its Federal Executive Council meeting yesterday approved the sum of N3.5 billion to purchase 320 made-in-Nigeria vehicles to aid prisons decongestion across the country.

According to a memo presented to the council members by the Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahaman Dambazau (rtd), the Nigerian prisons have for a long time suffered congestion of inmates due to lack of vehicles to transport some of them to ‎the court for hearing of the cases against them.

According to Dambazzau, 75% of an estimated 65,000 inmates in Nigerian prisons are mostly awaiting trial and due to unavailability of vehicles to transport them to the courts for trial, some of them have been in prison longer than they should.