The latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the nation’s total inmate population has increased from 69,946 recorded in 2017 to 81,710 in Q2 2025.
NBS, in its Nigerian Correctional Service Statistics for 2017 to Q2 2025, released on Wednesday in Abuja, said the figure represents a 16.82 per cent increase.
The report covers prison inmate population, correctional centres capacity, unsentenced inmates, and admissions.
According to the bureau’s report, in Q2 2025, Lagos state recorded the highest inmate population with 9,209 inmates, and 4,167 Correctional Centres Capacity, showing an overcrowding ratio of 221 per cent.
It said that other states with high inmate populations were Ogun at 4,939, Kano at 4,667, and Enugu at 3,536.
“Conversely, Kogi had the lowest inmate population at 530, followed by Bayelsa at 696, and Benue at 777.”
The report said that the number of unsentenced inmates rose from 47,610 in 2017 to 53,790 in Q2 of 2025, representing a 12.98 per cent increase over the reference period.
It said that between 2017 and Q2 2025, the Correctional Centres’ Capacity increased from 53,752 to 65,035, representing a 20.99 per cent increase over the period.
The NBS said that at the end of 2024, Nigeria’s correctional facilities had a total of 176,536 inmate admissions across various offences.
It said that remand/awaiting trial cases recorded the highest admissions with 94,614 inmates, while condemned cases had the lowest with 2,883 inmates.
Furthermore, in terms of type of offences, stealing recorded the highest number of admissions at 55,722, followed by other offences at 46,043 and armed robbery at 10,090.
The report said that bribery and corruption recorded the least with 27, followed by cybercrime at 48, and smuggling at 118.
