4000 prisoners released to relieve prison overcrowding

More than 4,000 Nigerian prisoners were released as part of a campaign to reduce prison overcrowding in Nigeria, the Nigerian Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced.

“We have announced the release of 4,068 prisoners detained because of their inability to pay their fines,” said the minister.

“Only prisoners whose fines do not exceed 1 million naira (1,113 euros) were chosen to benefit from this mass release,” Interior Ministry spokesman Ajibola Afonja told AFP, adding that Tunji-Ojo had cancelled fines totaling 585 million naira (651,000 euros).

According to the minister the people concerned were released on Saturday, November 18, 2023.

The decision to release certain prisoners is part of an effort to relieve overcrowding in Nigerian prisons.