Nigeria’s Interior Ministry has authorized the release of more than 4,000 people imprisoned for failing to pay a fine, Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said on Sunday.
"Governance is not only about protecting the strong; it is also about protecting the weakest in the society. Yesterday, we flagged off the release of 4068 of the 80,804 inmates in our 253 correctional facilities nationwide, who have been held in custody due to their inability to pay fines," he wrote on social media.
The minister visited a correctional facility in Kuje, area on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital Abuja, on Saturday to flag off the "decongestion" process that aims to reduce prison overcrowding across the West African country.
Tunji-Ojo said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had mobilized the private sector to facilitate the Renewed Hope initiative, which he said will "introduce global best practices," including non-custodial measures, in Nigeria’s correctional system.