Federal Government inaugurates Nnewi medium prison in Anambra.

Mr Abba Moro, the Minister of Interior

The Federal Government on Friday inaugurated a Medium Prison in Nnewi, Anambra, expected to accommodate 160 inmates.

Inaugurating the facility, Mr Abba Moro, the Minister of Interior, said it was sad to note that more than 70 per cent of inmates in the country were awaiting trial.

Moro said that this development had contributed to the problem of prison congestion nationwide.

He said that the Federal Government had built four similar facilities in Ikot Ekpene, Ado Ekiti, Yenagoa and Aguata.

The minister gave an assurance that measures had been put in place to tackle the security challenges in the country, especially in the North-East.

Gov. Willie Obiano announced that the prison was also captured under his administration’s programme which include security, health, education and environment.

Obiano, however, said that the state Ministry of Justice would do all it could to reduce the number of those awaiting trial by 50 per cent.

He said that the prison, built to accommodate 644 inmates, but was currently housing 1,518 inmates.

Obiano said his administration would support the Nigerian Prisons Service by constructing an access road to the new prison.

He also donated a bus for the staff and Black Maria for the movement of inmates.

Obiano said that his government would reduce crime through effective job creation.

Earlier, the Controller-General of Prisons, Mr Zakari Ibrahim, thanked the stakeholders, especially the Federal and Anambra Governments, for helping the service to achieve success in its reforms.

As can be seen, Nnewi Prison is not totally completed as issues such as staff quarters, access roads, concrete block fence, among others, have not been fully addressed.

Meanwhile, Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu Jnr., the Sole Administrator, Nnewi North Local Government Council, expressed happiness over the completion of the project, initiated by ex-President Shehu Shagari’s administration in 1982.

Ojukwu urged the government to expedite judicial process to ensure that people were not unduly incarcerated. (NAN)