Nigeria's Prisons Hold 51,955 Awaiting Trial

Nigeria’s correctional centres held 80,812 inmates, including 51,955 people awaiting trial, according to figures Vanguard reported on October 17, 2026. Those awaiting trial made up 64 per cent of the population, putting prolonged detention and court delays at the heart of a crisis now being examined by a Federal Government investigative panel.

Who Is Held, and for How Long

The population included 24,913 convicted people and 3,850 in other detention categories, as well as the 51,955 awaiting trial. Some people eventually discharged or acquitted spend months or years in detention before courts decide their cases.

National Bureau of Statistics data showed unsentenced inmates rising from 47,610 in 2017 to 53,790 in the second quarter of 2025. Total inmate numbers climbed from 69,946 to 81,710 over that period.

Justice-sector stakeholders point to slow investigations, late legal advice, inadequate representation for indigent defendants, repeated adjournments and other bottlenecks behind delayed trials. Thousands remain confined before a court has ruled on their cases.

On May 15, 2026, the ECOWAS Court of Justice found that prolonged detention of awaiting-trial inmates and the resulting overcrowding violated rights including liberty, dignity, fair hearing, the presumption of innocence and trial within a reasonable time. The National Human Rights Commission also identifies prolonged pre-trial detention, arbitrary arrest, torture, denial of access to lawyers and poor detention conditions as persistent concerns.

Facilities Under Strain

Many correctional centres date back decades and operate beyond their original capacity. The House Committee on Reformatory Institutions warned that some facilities were built more than a century ago and had deteriorated significantly.

The Federal Government’s investigative panel assessed 86 custodial facilities across 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory. It identified infrastructure deficits and security risks at facilities in Delta, Edo, Sokoto and Kaduna states. Dilapidated walls, poor ventilation, obsolete security systems, too few vehicles and weak perimeter protection complicate security and rehabilitation.

The Nigeria Correctional Service, or NCoS, listed construction and rehabilitation, vehicles, security equipment, information technology, inmate biometrics and prison farms as areas needing substantial capital investment. In 2025, the Service received ₦3.22 billion, or 22.2 per cent of the ₦14.50 billion capital allocation appropriated to it, leaving ₦11.27 billion unreleased.

Oversight, Welfare and Reform

The independent panel is examining allegations of corruption, abuse of power, torture, illegal inmate movements, drug trafficking, unauthorised visits and smuggling prohibited items. It also assessed infrastructure and security.

A Federal Government investigative panel found evidence of inmate malnutrition and alleged abuses in feeding-contract administration. It recommended raising the daily feeding allowance from N750 to N3,000. The NCoS said it spent ₦27.28 billion, or 71.7 per cent of its overhead releases, on inmate feeding in its 2025 budget performance, while ₦10.75 billion in food-ration obligations remained outstanding. For 2026, it proposed ₦14.83 billion to feed an estimated 91,100 inmates at ₦1,125 per inmate per day.

The NCoS reported recovering ₦2.569 million in smuggled cash and sanctioning 147 officers for contraband-related infractions. In May, it publicly destroyed 1,167 confiscated mobile phones and other prohibited items recovered during nationwide searches.

A 2019 law transformed the Nigerian Prisons Service into the Nigerian Correctional Service, giving it a mandate centred on reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration. The law requires educational and vocational programmes, psychological and counselling services, and opportunities for inmates to develop skills and generate income. The Service has expanded parole, probation and community service, but figures reported in July showed 1,271 Nigerians serving non-custodial sentences.

For 2026, the NCoS proposed a total budget of ₦198.85 billion and requested an additional ₦90.38 billion to strengthen capital expenditure. The investigative panel’s findings have put accountability, procurement, contract administration, oversight and discipline alongside infrastructure and inmate welfare in the reform debate.