The Federal Government (FG) is considering relocating Ikoyi correctional centre, Lagos and some other correctional centres from urban areas to other areas in the country which was made known on Thursday by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo during the Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today. He said, “Under this administration, we’ve not had any jail attack, what we have had was force majeure which was Suleja because that particular correctional centre was built in 1914. It’s about 110 years old.
“President Tinubu was not President 110 years ago. He inherited 256 correctional centres that needed attention. There is no way he would have completely overhauled it in one year.
“I must talk about urbanization. Look at Suleja for example, the Suleja correctional centre that came down was only 7 metres away from the next house. Instead of what the law says which is a buffer space of 100 metres. So, urbanization has eaten deep.
“Look at Ikoyi correctional centre sharing fence with another house. What is a correctional centre doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at being able to initiate the process of possibly relocating some of these correctional centres.”
He also added that the government would soon commence inmate audit across the 256 correctional centres nationwide in order to sanitize them of people who have no business of being there in the first instance.