THE Federal Government has said that governors can offset or grant waivers to inmates with fines less than N1 million.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, during the commissioning of a 20-bed space medical facility at Port Harcourt maximum security custodial centre.
Aregbesola said while the Federal Government is finding long time solutions to the challenge of prison decongestion, the State Government can in the meantime provide basic supports, like offsetting the meagre fines and debts, building court houses at the correctional services premises or try the defendants virtually from the Correctional Centres for speedy determination of cases.
He held that some of the inmates are held behind bars for minor offences that can be easily waved by the states.
The Minister further asserted that he recently asked the comptroller of Correctional centres to compile the list of inmates whose reason for incarceration is a fine or a debt not more than one million naira that are meant to be paid to the state governments.
He said about 5,000 inmates were shortlisted under this category and Al of them have stayed long enough in the care of the Federal Government to consume foods worth more than they are supposed to pay as fines and debt to the states.
According to him, in Rivers State, there are about 22 of such inmates and the 22 of them are collectively owing a little above 3million naira, an amount he thinks the State Government can offset or waive for the inmates to be freed.
