FG May Privatise Prisons To Reduce Cost – Danbazzau

Lt.-Gen Abdurrahman Danbazzau (retd.), Minister of Interior, Tuesday said that the Federal Government would introduce biometric identification at border posts to tackle problems of arms proliferation and drug smuggling.
Danbazzau spoke in Kaduna at a town hall meeting on President Muhammadu Buhari’s one year in office, with the theme “Change Starts with Me.”
The minister said that security agencies were working to reduce violent crimes in the country, including kidnapping, vandalism, herdsmen invasion and armed robbery.
He also addressed the problems of Nigerian prisons, such as congestion and welfare of inmates.
“Our prisons are congested with close to 70,000 prisons inmates and awaiting trials.
“Quiet a number of them are there because they cannot pay fines and some of them do not have fair justice. We require N10 billion every year to feed them,,” he said.
The minister said government would explore ways to reduce the huge cost of feeding the inmates, and was considering privatising the prisons for effective management.
In addition, he told the audience that the military had succeeded in winning the war against insurgency in the North-East and is still engaged in mop-up operations and humanitarian services.
Danbazzau said the ministry would collaborate with other MDAs to rehabilitate and reconstruct areas in the region affected by terrorism.


Source: Independent