From Isaac Anumihe and Ezekwesiri Olileanya, Abuja
Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), yesterday, disclosed that it has a total of 1885 females across the country and 81 of them are on death row.
Fielding questions from the Independent Investigative Panel on the alleged corruption, abuse of power, torture, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment against the NCS ,Deputy Controller General (DCG) Inmates Training and Productivity Directorate, Ibrahim Idris, also noted that whereas 1235 are on awaiting trial, about 650 of the females have been convicted.
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According to him, female inmates undergo pregnancy test on the first day of admission, subject to the availability of test tools,adding that babies are not kept in custodial facilities beyond 18 months.
Such babies, he said, are handed over to the families of the inmates or designated welfare centres.
On treatment of inmates with physical disabilities, NCoS noted that there is no particular documented protocol on how inmates with disabilities should be treated.
“However, they are usually assisted by staff and fellow inmates on compassionate grounds.
Section 23 of the NCoS Act 2019, states that the Correctional Service shall put in place healthcare services for the promotion of physical and mental health, prevention and treatment of diseases, while section 24 states ‘where it appears to the superintendent that an inmate undergoing imprisonment or under sentence of death is of unsound mind, he shall report the matter to the state controller of corrections who shall appoint two or more qualified health practitioners, one of whom shall be a correctional centre health practitioner to inquire into the inmates state of mental health’” he said
The health practitioners, the service noted, shall examine the inmates’ mental health status and give their written opinion in a report to the state controller not later than two weeks from receipt of the initial report for submission to the Mental Health Review Board for review and issuance of appropriate certification which shall be forwarded to the Controller General, the Chief Judge and other relevant authorities
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