Nigeria Minister of Interior

Mr. Abba Moro

As the Federal Government was opening the Nnewi Prison in Anambra State on June 6, 2014, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro and Governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano lamented the level of prison congestions in the country, especially the preponderance of awaiting trial inmates now forming about 70 per cent of the inmates in most prisons.

Moro, who spoke during the inauguration of the penal institution located at Umuezena, Nnewi, said the Federal Government had been grappling with the congestion of prisons, a reason it has been working hard to provide accommodation for those incarcerated through building more prisons. He stated that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan had in furtherance of this objective built new prisons in Ikot- Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State, Yenagoa in Bayelsa state, Aguata in Anambra State and the one opened for use at Nnewi. On his part, Obiano, who frowned at the enormity of the problems created by prison congestion, said his government would construct an access road to the new prison, donate a bus as well as a Black Maria van for conveying of prisoners.

“Only the real guys that we are fighting now in our Operation Kpochapu and that we are pulling out of the street that find their way into the prisons and not those who would be there for falling foul of the law in minor cases,” he said.