Enugu Ranks 4th In Prisons Inmate Ratings

Inmates at the facilities of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Enugu State are the fourth largest across the federation, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Wednesday

According to NBS, the number of inmates at various correctional centres in Enugu State stands at 3,536.

Topping the list is Lagos, followed by Ogun and then Kano states with the cumulative population rising from 69,946 in 2017 to 81,710 in the second quarter of 2025.

According to NBS, the Q2 2025 figure of 81,710 represented a 16.82 per cent increase from the 69,946 recorded in 2017. It explained that the report presented data from the Nigerian Correctional Service covering 2017 to Q2 2025, which included the prison inmate population, correctional centres capacity, unsentenced inmates, and admissions.

The report said that in Q2 2025, Lagos State recorded the highest inmate population with 9,209 inmates, and 4,167 correctional centres capacity, showing an overcrowding ratio of 221 per cent. Ogun has 4,939 with Kano hosting 4,667 inmates.

Quoting NBS, “Conversely, Kogi had the lowest inmate population at 530, followed by Bayelsa at 696, and Benue at 777.”

The report said that the number of unsentenced inmates rose from 47,610 in 2017 to 53,790 in Q2 of 2025, representing a 12.98 per cent increase over the reference period.

According to the record, between 2017 and Q2 2025, the correctional centres’ capacity increased from 53,752 to 65,035, representing a 20.99 per cent increase over the period.

The NBS said that at the end of 2024, Nigeria’s correctional facilities had a total of 176,536 inmate admissions across various offences, adding that remand/awaiting trial cases recorded the highest admissions with 94,614 inmates, while condemned cases had the lowest with 2,883 inmates.

On the categories of the offences, NBS stated that stealing recorded the highest number of admissions at 55,722, followed by other offences at 46,043 and armed robbery at 10,090.

The report said that bribery and corruption recorded the least with 27, followed by cyber crimes at 48, and smuggling at 118.