Life Behind Bars: From Freedom to ‘Hell’
“We slept in hundreds, like packed sardines in a room meant for twenty people,” recalls Ahmed (not his real name), a 50-year-old former inmate of Ibara Correctional Centre, Abeokuta. “We battled skin rashes, lice, bedbugs and then mental disorder.”
Ahmed’s nightmare began after a chance meeting with an old friend near the PDP secretariat in Abeokuta. Unknown to him, a violent cult clash had occurred at the location the previous day.
“They started shooting. I was shot, and I shot back at many people, but I was overpowered,” he says. After a month-long stay at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, he was transferred to police custody and later charged with attempted murder and unlawful possession of firearms.
Ahmed spent nearly two years awaiting trial before the Islamic Humanitarian Service (IHS) secured his release. He describes Ibara prison as “nothing but hell.”
Overcrowding and Poor Living Conditions
According to him, the prison cell was next to the kitchen, with unbearable heat day and night. “If you open a packed sardine tin, that’s how we slept,” he says. “Rice came only on Wednesdays and Saturdays; the rest of the week was garri and beans. The soup could make you sick. We even had a phrase for it: ‘Sapa ti mu mi lepon’ — hunger has affected my scrotum.”
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) Act 2019 was meant to shift focus from punishment to rehabilitation. Yet, overcrowding remains rampant. As of 2025, Nigerian correctional facilities hold 81,287 inmates — 53,178 of them awaiting trial.
In Ogun State, Ibara prison, built for 700 inmates, now houses 1,468, while Oba Correctional Centre holds 999 inmates despite a capacity of 850.
Limited Access to Healthcare
Ahmed laments that inmates only receive paracetamol, with severe cases left for families to finance. “People died of ulcer. Two people went mad after contracting measles,” he recalls.
Correctional Facilities ‘Breeding Grounds for Crime’
Rather than reform, Ahmed argues that prisons now groom criminals.
“Some inmates are there over N1,000 or N5,000 cases. They meet hardened criminals, learn new crimes, and come out worse,” he says. “Some even coordinate robberies from inside prison.”
Inmates Appeal for Amnesty
Ayomide Olagoke, a master’s degree holder in Banking and Finance, is currently serving time at Ibara. Speaking during his convocation for a bachelor’s degree in theology, he pleaded for the government to address congestion and grant amnesty.
“Husbands and wives have been awaiting trial for up to nine years. What happens to their children?” he asked.
Chief Judge and Prison Officials Raise Alarm
Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, recently described the situation as “deplorable” after a visit to Sagamu prison.
“Inmates cannot lie down; they either sit or stand. Some have been awaiting trial since 2013 — twelve years without judgment,” she said.
Ogun’s Controller of Corrections, Abioye Adesina, confirmed that despite periodic decongestion exercises, overcrowding persists and called for more logistics support from the state government.
‘Reforms Only Exist on Paper’ – Lawyer
Legal scholar Ogaga Ediru criticised the government for failing to enforce decongestion measures under the Correctional Service Act 2019.
“Overcrowding worsens healthcare, sanitation, and food supply. It also fuels the spread of infectious diseases,” he said.
Ediru blamed Nigeria’s slow judicial system for the crisis and called for:
More judges and magistrates in criminal divisions
Modernisation of forensic and investigative policing
Abolition of prolonged pre-charge detentions
Updates to the Criminal and Penal Codes to encourage non-custodial sentencing
