FG plans to relocate Ikoyi prison, others because they are too close to houses

The Federal Government is planning to relocate Ikoyi prison and other correctional centres away from urban areas.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

Built in 1955, the Ikoyi prison is located in the highbrow area of Lagos Island with the facility sharing its high fence with residential buildings.

Tunji-Ojo said many prison facilities in the country have been encroached on by urbanisation as some of them are a few metres away from the next house.

He said, “Under this administration, we’ve not had any jail attack; what we’ve 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 a 110 years old. He inherited 256 correctional centres that needed attention. There is no way he would have completely overhaul it in one year.

“I must talk about urbanisation. Look at Suleja for example, the Suleja correctional centre that came down was only seven metres away from the next house. Instead of what the law says which is a buffer space of 100 metres. So, urbanisation has eaten deep.

“Look at Ikoyi Correctional Centre sharing a fence with (another house). What’s (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.”

The minister further said the government would soon commence an “inmate audit” across the 256 correctional centres in the country.

According to him, this will help to sanitise the prison facilities by freeing inmates who don’t have any business being there in the first instance.

He added that the government has started the renovation and rebuilding of some of the old prisons in the country.