By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has recorded a total of 3,833 Inmates on Death Row (IDR) across custodial centres in the country, out of a national inmate population of 81,558.

Deputy Controller Abubakar Umar, the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), disclosed in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

Umar debunked the recent media reports by some online platforms that Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos states have the highest numbers of IDR with a total of 1,300, 1,250 and 2,055 respectively.

He said that the available statistics by the NCoS presently show that Ogun, Rivers, Enugu, Lagos, and Delta States have the highest number of inmates sentenced to death.

He also said that Osun, Ebonyi, Oyo, Kogi, and Anambra States recorded the lowest figures in the same category.

He added that Ogun State tops the list with 568 death row inmates, followed by Rivers with 504, Enugu with 328, Lagos with 314, and Delta with 256.

At the lower end, he noted that Osun State currently had no death row inmates, while Ebonyi and Oyo States have two each, Kogi three, and Anambra four.

He explained that the disparities may be linked to varying crime rates, judicial processes, and the administrative actions of state governments, particularly the signing of death warrants or approval of clemency requests.

The SPRO highlighted that the management of inmates on death row presents serious challenges for the Service, especially in terms of congestion and financial pressure on the federal government.

Umar, however, said that the Service classified inmates based on their legal status, hence, inmates were classified as Awaiting Trial, Short-term convicts, long-term convicts, lifers, inmates on death row, debtors, female, juveniles, among others.

“As at Tuesday, July 22, 2025, death row inmates are 3,833 nationwide which make up about five per cent of the entire prison population.

“Out of this number, 3,754 are males while 79 are females.

“Also, out of the entire inmate population, 24,252 inmates are convicted nationwide which is 29 per cent. Out of this number, 23,725 are male while 457 are female.

“Those awaiting trials nationwide amount to 53,473 inmates which comprise 52,066 males and 1,407 females. This is about 66 per cent.

“This brings to the total of 81, 558 inmates in custody across the various custodial centres in the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT),” he said.

Speaking on the numbers of hangmen that the service have, Umar declined comment saying that many state governments set up prerogatives of mercy committees to review convicted cases occasionally.

He said that many inmates on death row were benefitting from such exercises, and were contributing meaningfully to the society.

He, however, appealed that the public know that the NCoS was functionally engaging inmates on death row through educational programmes and vocational training.

“The service doesn’t allow them to wallow endlessly under the toga of death sentence,” he maintained. (NAN)