The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has reported that a significant number of inmates, more than 64,000, were given non-custodial sentences between 2021 and 2025. This milestone was disclosed on thursday by Ponyaka Nandang, the Controller of Corrections in charge of probation, during a public hearing of the Independent Investigative Panel on alleged corruption within the service.
The report highlights the success of the NCoS in implementing alternatives to imprisonment, which include measures such as community service, suspended sentences, fines, and probation. These initiatives are a core component of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, which aims to reform the criminal justice system and align it with global standards.
The primary purpose of these non-custodial sentences is to reduce the persistent problem of prison overcrowding while simultaneously offering a pathway for offenders to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society. The report demonstrates the service’s commitment to creating a more humane, efficient, and cost-effective system of justice.
Speaking before the panel on Thursday in Abuja, Nandang revealed that between 2021 and 2024, a total of 54,523 inmates, comprised of 49,463 men and 5,060 women, were placed under non-custodial measures nationwide.
Nandang added that another 10,406 inmates—comprising 9,207 men and 1,199 women—received similar sentences between January and June 2025.
He, however, noted that in spite of the growing use of these alternatives to incarceration, challenges, such as inadequate funding, limited staffing, and weak judicial collaboration had persisted.
He warned that without stronger institutional support, the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of the non-custodial measures established under the NCoS Act of 2019 remained uncertain.
“We have some impediments, and it’s very obvious. One of the major impediments is funds. No budgetary allocations deliberately meant for restorative justice,” he lamented.
He also decried the lack of infrastructure and basic logistics to support operations in many areas.
“Sometimes, you have to appeal to a local government chairman for office space; even when it is granted, there are no seats or basic facilities to carry out the required duties.
“The human resource deficit is equally a challenge. The total number of officers managing non-custodial services across the country is just 1,563.
“The state with the highest number is Kebbi, with 131 staff, while Imo has the fewest, with only seven officers,” he added.
The NCoS Controller also cited weak judicial participation in the implementation of non-custodial measures, especially regarding probation and parole.
According to him, most courts have not been granting probation orders, either because the substantive laws have not adequately captured them or due to other legal gaps.
“While parole boards have been established across several states, delays persist due to the absence of necessary technical committees at the national level.
“We are yet to form the technical committees whose members are to sit on these recommendations and then eventually grant parolees those prospective parolees,” the controller maintained.
Nandang, however, expressed concern that restorative justice was being hampered by rigid legal interpretations, in spite of its potential.
He said, “Even for inmates on death row, can we also kick-start the process of restorative justice?
Not necessarily with the view that these people should be removed from custodial centres, but that relationships should be restored.”
He called for collaboration with traditional institutions, vigilante groups, and non-state actors, whom he said had already been instrumental in bridging implementation gaps in some areas.
He also called on the judiciary and prosecuting agencies to align with the correctional service’s efforts, warning that outdated legal provisions were hindering progress.
“Because of inadequate staffing, we have sometimes had to rely on vigilante groups to execute some of the court sentences,” he said.
“Also, most judiciary officers will tell you that you do not have enough provisions to back up this implementation of non-custodial services,”he said.
Nandang, however, remained hopeful that with stronger political will, legal reforms, and stakeholder’s cooperation, the non-custodial system could play a transformative role in Nigeria’s justice sector.
“Non-custodial measures are helping the NCoS, but there are still many challenges. If we truly want this to work, we need the support of every stakeholder,” he emphasised.
