Inmates Protest In Jos Prison Over Plans To Reduce Food Ration

On Friday, inmates at the Correctional Center in Jos, Plateau State, protested over alleged plans to reduce their food ration.

The inmates were said to have been tipped off about the impending downward review of food ration.

According to reports, the inmates defied custodial officials and refused breakfast, rallying in the centre of the prison yard to express their grievances.

The custodial officials reportedly fired tear gas to force the inmates back to their rooms but were resisted.

Raphael Ibinuhi, the Comptroller of the Jos Correctional Center, who confirmed the incident, attributed the protest to a planned reduction in food size.

He cited contractors’ complaints about rising food prices for the planned reduction in food ration.

“The problem has to do with the high cost of goods in the market. The contractor in charge of food said they are being forced by the price of food items to reduce the size of the plate of food.

“So, it is the food size that provoked the protest. I don’t think the protest is necessary because the food challenge and the cost of items is a national issue that the federal government is already addressing.”

Ibinuhi, however, expressed optimism that the Federal Government’s measures to address the cost of living would eventually benefit everyone, including correctional centres.

“I want to believe that since it is a national issue, whatever step taken by the federal government to address will be felt everywhere in the country including the Correctional centers,” he added.

Earlier in the week, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) organised a nationwide protest over hardship in the country.