By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
RISING INMATE numbers and worsening congestion marked Nigeria’s correctional facilities as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on January 14, 2026, released Nigerian Correctional Service Statistics covering 2017 to the second quarter of 2025.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the NBS disclosed that the total inmate population increased from 69,946 in 2017 to 81,710 in Q2 2025, representing a 16.82 percent rise.
Overcrowding remained especially severe in Lagos at 221 percent and Oyo at 290.6 percent, reflecting systemic strain on correctional facilities, the report reveals.
In particular, Lagos recorded the highest inmate population at 9,209, while Ogun, Kano, and Enugu also posted significant numbers.
Also, the NBS stated that unsentenced inmates rose by 12.98 percent to 53,790, indicating delays in judicial processing.
