Investigative Panel Raises Alarm Over Food Shortages in Nigerian Prisons, Calls for Urgent Reform
Abuja, Nigeria – A disturbing revelation has emerged from an independent investigative panel, exposing the dire food crisis in Nigerian correctional facilities, where inmates are reportedly dying due to severe malnutrition and food racketeering.
The Secretary of the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, and Inhumane Treatment in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Dr. Uju Agomoh, made this disclosure during a public hearing in Abuja. She painted a grim picture of widespread starvation across detention centers, citing findings from an inspection visit in February 2024.
“In all the facilities we visited, the food supply did not meet the approved weekly standards. The stock that should sustain inmates for at least seven days is not being maintained,” Agomoh revealed. “Many inmates are dying because of this. I have been visiting correctional centers for over 30 years, and I have never seen the situation this bad.”
The root cause of the crisis, according to the panel’s findings, is food racketeering orchestrated by senior prison officers. Agomoh stated that officers responsible for overseeing food supplies have exploited the system for personal gain, leading to chronic food shortages and malnutrition among inmates.
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“Those in charge of supplying food are the same officers who regulate it. In their bid to make profits, they are failing in their duties,” she explained. “The quantity provided is inadequate, and this corruption in food procurement is worsening the suffering of inmates.”
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has yet to respond to the specific allegations, but a legal representative for the Acting Controller-General of NCoS, Ibrahim Idris, stated that a Prison Ration Committee had been established to ensure food standards are met. However, the investigative panel cast doubt on the effectiveness of these measures.
Another troubling discovery was the mismanagement of farm centers operated by NCoS, where inmates grow food. Dr. Ikechukwu Ezeugo, a panel member, revealed that out of over 12 farm centers, only a few are operational, and instead of feeding inmates, the farm produce is sold to private contractors who resell it at a profit.
“The inmates working in these farms don’t even benefit from the food they produce,” Ezeugo lamented. “Even worse, we found sick and underage detainees being forced to work on these farms, despite their inability to endure such labor.”
With mounting concerns over inmate welfare and human rights violations, the panel has called for urgent intervention and transparency from NCoS. The panel also emphasized the legal obligations of the government under Section 14(4) of the NCoS Act, stressing that starvation in custody is a violation of human dignity.
As investigations continue, pressure is mounting on the authorities to take immediate action to reform Nigeria’s prison food supply system and put an end to the corruption and neglect that is costing lives behind bars.
By PRNigeria
