The number of inmates on death row in Nigeria has increased by 98 within the past six months, rising from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025, the Acting Controller-General of Prisons, Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche, has revealed.
Nwakuche made this disclosure on Wednesday during his screening before the Senate Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole. He attributed the rising number to delays in executions and the reluctance of state governors to either carry out death sentences or commute them to life imprisonment.
“Our major challenge is that most inmates are awaiting trial, which we are trying to address daily,” Nwakuche stated. “Governors refuse to execute those on death row, and they also do not commute their sentences. If these sentences were commuted to life imprisonment, it would allow us to transfer inmates to less congested rural prisons.”
He emphasized that urban prisons are significantly overcrowded, while rural correctional facilities have more capacity.
In response to the congestion crisis, Nwakuche called for strategic collaboration between the Nigerian Prisons Service and other security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). He stressed the need for improved synergy to fast-track justice processes and address the backlog of awaiting trial cases.
