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Nigeria: 1,600 Citizens in British Prisons
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Leadership (Abuja)
25 April 2008
Posted to the web 25 April 2008
Abuja
British minister of state for prison affairs, Mr. David Hanson, yesterday in Abuja said that 1,600 Nigerians are serving prison terms in Britain.
The minister, who was in Nigeria for bilateral talks on prison services, told newsmen at Kuje Prison that Britain had 11,000 prisoners.
Hanson said that 2,000 of the 11,000 were Britons, 1,600 Nigerians, and 7,400 from other countries.
He said that the British government was ready to assist Nigeria to improve its prison services.
According to him, this will reduce crime and help to overcome other challenges faced by the prison service in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the minister of state for interior, Alhaji Hassan Haruna, said Nigeria would work toward the repatriation of Nigerians in British prisons to complete their terms in Nigeria.
"The arrangement and the conditions for their transfer back home from Britain is yet to be concluded but they will be repatriated soon after the conclusion of the agreement," the minister said.
The comptroller-general of prisons, Mr. Sola Ogundipe, said that Nigerian prisons had 40,000 inmates, among whom were 26,000 awaiting trial persons.
He said the federal government would soon embark on nationwide refurbishing of prisons and building of more blocks to decongest the prisons.
He said government was determined to make the prisons rehabilitation centres to make inmates better citizens on discharge.
Assistant comptroller, Kuje prison, Mr. Kabir Funtua, said the prison had 529 inmates instead of 320 it was supposed to hold. Funtua said 475 inmates were awaiting trial, while 54 were convicts.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Bob Dewar, said this on Wednesday at the celebration of the official birthday of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in Abuja.
"We encourage and support Nigeria to move forward with determination, the campaign against corruption, better governance and for electoral and economic reforms," he said.
The envoy said that practical demonstration toward attaining the
objectives would be important in giving confidence to the UK and other international investors.
Meanwhile, Britain has urged Nigeria to show more determination in its fight against corruption.
The British high commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Bob Dewar, said this at the celebration of the official birthday of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in Abuja.
"We encourage and support Nigeria to move forward with determination, the campaign against corruption, better governance and for electoral and economic reforms," he said.
The envoy said that practical demonstration toward attaining the objectives would be important in giving confidence to the UK and other international investors.
"Ordinary Nigerians, whom I have met in the various states I have visited around the country, have expressed the desire to see better use of the oil and gas revenue.
"We are working closely at federal and state levels to help bring about such better use of the country's significant resources," Dewar said.
He said the proper use of resources would enable citizens to benefit from education, health and other services, as well as infrastructure, such as power and roads development.
Dewar said there was the need to raise public consciousness on climate change in Nigeria, adding that carbon gas emissions, harmful to the planet, could be put to better use.
"It is possible to be green and grow. Nigeria can use its voice constructively for a balanced outcome at international climate talks, seeking a better world for our children.
"This is just as it can lead the way in showing how to make progress toward the MDGs," he said.
Dewar said the UK was ready to make contributions toward the achievement of President Umaru Yar'Adua's seven-point agenda and sustenance of democracy.
The envoy said the UK was well disposed to building links, institutions, integrity and compliance with values and standards of the international rules-based system.
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"We are historic, long standing and genuine friends; we believe we share interests in Africa and wider, working together for peace, human rights and democracy and to reduce poverty," Dewar said.
The British Government should be ashamed of herself with the prison statistics.With a population of 50 million and 10% aliens.Only 18.18% of prison inmates are British, the 10% aliens constitute 88% of inmates.Nigerians which are less than 1 million ( 2%)of the UK population constitute 14.55% of inmates.There is something seriously wrong with the British Judiciary.I have been arrested and handcuffed by the British Police for an offence which was due to compuetr error.
Not surprised at all,these people have been doing all they can to destroy us and our efforts and they will stop at nothing.Worrisome statistics and I think they should be ashamed of their actions no matter what brought about 1600 able bodied nigerians being in their jails.It is left to our govt not to let any british national caught commiting crime in nigeria go free or is treated with kid gloves,we should equally purnish them severely if they are caught.Nigerians say no more sacred cows, afterall, we don,t enjoy such priviledges in their country.They,ve commited worse crimes than the whole... [Read Full Text]
Maybe if they didn't commit a crime they wouldn't have been arrested, convicted and sent to prison. The British justice system assumes innocense and that guilt needs to be proved. The issue is more reflective on any nation obeying the laws of the land of the host country.
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