70% prisons inmates awaiting trial, says Dambazau

The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, Monday said over 70 percent of inmates in Nigerian prisons are awaiting trials.

Dambazau who disclosed this in Abakaliki while inspecting the new prisons being constructed by the Ebonyi state government, said the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), was working hard to ensuring that prisons are decongested across the country.

He however, noted that the task of decongesting the prisons did not rest squarely on NPS as the Nigeria Police and the Judiciary have enormous role to play.

On rehabilitation of prisoners, the Interior Minister said the Nigeria was still below United Nations standard but efforts were being made to meet up with the UN requirement.