Urgent Legislative Oversight on Inhumane Conditions at the Jos Custodial Centre, Plateau State
Working Paper
On May 4, 2025, Sahara Reporters exposed severe human rights violations at the Jos Custodial Centre, Plateau State, including substandard nutrition, lack of medical care, and administrative misconduct allegedly marked by ethnic bias. These claims align with longstanding concerns documented by civil society organisations and government agencies, spotlighting systemic failures across Nigeria’s correctional system. Despite the 2019 Correctional Service Act and recent government interventions such as the 50% increase in inmates’ daily feeding allowance, the conditions at Jos and many other correctional centres appear to remain in breach of both national laws and international standards, including the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules). Persistent issues such as overcrowding, poor hygiene, and inadequate healthcare indicate the urgent need for legislative oversight and systemic reform. This brief recommends that the National Assembly: • may wish to act decisively by conducting oversight visits to Jos Custodial Centre for investigation, assessing budgetary allocations for inmate welfare, partnering with civil society for independent audits, and enforcing accountability mechanisms for correctional administrators. • decisive legislative intervention is essential to restore the rule of law, uphold human rights obligations, and build a humane, rehabilitative correctional system that aligns with Nigeria’s constitutional and international commitments.