The Lagos State Government has disclosed that no fewer than 9,097 inmates are currently on remand at various correctional centres in the state, far exceeding the facilities’ intended capacity and causing significant overcrowding.
According to the Lagos State Ministry of Justice Criminal Information System (LCIS), the figure represents a 106 percent increase above the combined capacity of the five correctional centres in the state, which are built to accommodate only 4,087 persons.
A breakdown of the figures shows that Ikoyi Prison, which is designed to hold 800 inmates, is currently housing 2,976. Similarly, the Kirikiri Medium Security Prison holds 3,925 inmates instead of its 1,700 capacity.
The Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison has 1,645 inmates against a capacity of 1,056, while the Female Prison houses 211 inmates despite being designed for 200.
Also in Badagry Correctional Centre, 298 inmates are held in a facility meant for 320.
The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Femi Pedro, SAN, revealed these statistics during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the state secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, as part of activities marking Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
Pedro explained that the quarterly reports from the LCIS also revealed troubling trends, including that 40 inmates have been held for between one and nine years without being taken to court. Additionally, 56 percent of the remanded inmates do not have legal representation, and 17 of them are juveniles.
In addressing the overcrowding, the Attorney General said the state government is scaling up the use of non-custodial sentencing measures, including community service, to reduce pressure on correctional facilities.
“In this regard, we have supervised the community service of 10,120 offenders across 18 locations, thereby reducing congestion and enabling restorative justice”, Pedro said.
“We arrested, arraigned and secured convictions for 71,023 offenders for minor offences ranging from traffic violations to street trading and vandalism. This has had a measurable impact in deterring miscreants and preserving order across Lagos.”
