UK government to build N333m annex in Kirikiri to bring Nigerian prisoners home
Plans by the United Kingdom to pay for a new wing in one of Nigeria’s largest prisons in order to enable the government transfer prisoners from Britain have been confirmed.
The move will see a 112-bed annex constructed in Kiri Kiri prison.
It is set to cost the UK as much as £700,000 (N333m).
The UK and Nigeria signed a prisoner transfer agreement in 2014. It means citizens of one who commit crimes in the other will serve sentences in their homeland.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the new move would enable eligible Nigerian inmates serving time in the UK to return home to complete their sentences.
The Minister believes the facility will help Nigeria in the following ways:
Improve prison conditions:
The Minister in the UK believes that building the prison will help Nigeria to improve its prison conditions.
Increase capacity:
The facility is also to be built to increase prison capacity and enable the UK government to transfer more prisoners to Nigeria, which will in turn free up prison places in the UK.
Tenders for the planned Nigerian jail had been placed and suppliers identified, bringing the project’s total cost to £695,525 including support, monitoring and evaluation.
The bill will be met by the CSSF (Conflict, Stability and Security Fund), he said.
According to House of Commons statistics there were 320 Nigerian nationals in prisons in England and Wales at the end of 2016.
