Minister Plans to Improve Ikoyi Prison: ‘People Will Be Happy to Come’

On Monday, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo expressed concern about the poor condition of the Ikoyi prison. He promised that the government would fix and improve the facility.

After inspecting various agencies and parastatals under the Ministry of Interior in Lagos, Tunji-Ojo spoke to journalists about the need for improvements at Ikoyi Prison. “We are committed to upgrading the structures and facilities here,” he said. “We will also work with other agencies to achieve this.”

Tunji-Ojo assured Nigerians that changes were coming. “It won’t be business as usual. We aim to make Nigeria a safer place by better managing government resources. We want the correctional centre to be where people feel safe and supported,” he said.

The minister mentioned that urbanization had impacted the facility and that the government might consider relocating some correctional centres. “Urban growth has affected this facility. We need to look into moving some of these centres to better locations,” he explained.

He also noted that the law requires a 100-metre buffer zone around correctional centres, a rule not followed at Ikoyi. “Our administration is committed to following the law and fixing any issues at this centre,” Tunji-Ojo emphasized.

The government aims to create correctional centres that truly help reform inmates. “We want inmates to leave here reformed and transformed. The change from ‘prison’ to ‘correctional centre’ should be real, not just a name change,” he asserted.

Tunji-Ojo stressed the need for a new approach. “We need to move beyond words to actual change. This place should symbolize hope, education, and transformation. Right now, it poses more of a security risk,” he remarked.