The number of prisoners on death row in Nigeria has increased from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025, marking a 2.73% rise with 98 new inmates added in six months, according to the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Nwakuche.
Speaking during his screening by the Senate Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Nwakuche highlighted the challenge of overcrowding in urban correctional facilities. He attributed part of the problem to state governors who neither approve executions nor commute death sentences to life imprisonment, which would allow for better inmate distribution.
Nwakuche also emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between the NCoS and security agencies such as the Nigeria Police, EFCC, DSS, and ICPC to expedite trials and reduce the backlog of inmates awaiting trial. He lamented that some detainees have spent five to six years in prison without trial, even though their sentences would not have lasted that long if convicted.
The Senate Committee on Interior is expected to submit its report on Nwakuche’s performance following the screening exercise.
