There are many reasons why people should be law-abiding in Nigeria, and the meager feeding allowance prisoners get is just one of them.
According to the Legal Defence and Assistance Project, the Nigerian government spends just N3.50k to feed an inmate in Nigerian prisons each day.
Speaking at a round table for media and civil society organizations in Lagos, Thursday, National Coordinator of the organisation, Chino Obiagwu, said that the current cost was increased by the new Comptroller-General of Prisons from the previous N2.10k per prisoner.
The round table was themed ‘Moving Nigeria Towards the Abolition of the Death Penalty.’
“The truth is that many prisoners supplement their meals because all kinds of businesses and activities go on inside the prisons,” said Mr. Obiagwu.
“If you allow Nigerian prisoners to survive on their ration, they will all die.”
There are about 56,000 inmates scattered across Nigerian prisons, according to Mr. Obiagwu whose organization champions the rights of Nigerian prisoners.
“A lot of philanthropy goes into our prisons, churches like the Catholic church, The Redeemed church carry out on regular prison visits to improve the welfare of inmates,” said Mr. Obiagwu.
It’s no secret how deplorable the conditions in Nigerian prisons are and one can only wish that shining the spotlight on the system can cause an improvement.
