President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has announced a plan to relocate the Ikoyi prison and some other correctional centres in the country from urban areas to other areas.

This was disclosed by Tinubu's minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, while featuring in an interview on Channels TV on Thursday, June 6.

How urbanization affected Nigerian prisons

According to the minister, urbanisation has caused a setback for some of the correctional centres in the country.

His comment reads in part: "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."

Tunji-Ojo said that Tinubu was not made president 110 years ago and that he inherited 256 correctional centres that deserved attention. However, the minister added that it was not easy for President Tinubu to overhaul the correctional centres in one year.

He noted that the Suleja correctional centre was only seven meters from the next house, which was less than the law's stipulated distance. According to him, the law required correctional centres to be 100 meters from the next house.

His comment further reads in part: “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.”

See the video of the interview here

What is a correctional centre doing in Ikoyi? This administration is looking at possibly relocating these correctional centres.

- Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, speaks on correctional facilities and urbanisation.#PoliticsToday pic.twitter.com/ZGJNG3ok1g

— Channels Television (@channelstv) June 6, 2024