The Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, says 53,836 inmates in the 253 correctional centers across the country are awaiting trial as at December 18.
The spokesperson of the service, Assistant Controller of Corrections (ACC) Abubakar Umar made this revelation to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
Umar said the summary of the inmates across the country by conviction and those on awaiting trial list was 77,849 within the period under review.
He said the total number of convicted inmates was 24,013, stressing that the convicted male inmates are 23,569 and 444 convicted are females.
According to him, one of the challenges of the service was the issues of dilapidated custodial structures which resulted to overcrowded and congested spaces within the centers.
