A state must ensure they don't punish people indiscriminately, people should be punished or rehabilitated according to their crimes, mixing people who misstepped or merely threatened people in same jails as hardened criminals, is turning that citizen into a criminal. I recommend that only proven criminals caught in the act of robbing, or murdering someone should be placed in same cells, and those convicted should be in separate correctional centers/facilities from those awaiting trial. It is detrimental to general safety of society and we are destroying the future of a citizen by dumping them in same prison blocks and facilities with proven killers and armed robbers. A lot of human resources are in prison and our nation need development.

Police should focus on going after serious criminals, like armed robbers, terrorists and people who actually committed crimes, rather than arresting and locking people up through petitions they receive on "verbal threat/assault" 'libel' "defamation of character" and such misdemeanors.

Nigerian prisons are over congested, and a lot of youths with potential get their lives derailed after being locked up for frivolous charges and reports/petitions from people who hate or dislike them or in disagreement with them, Nigeria police should keep the prison for the criminals who actually commit crime and have been convicted, except for cases of armed robbery, violent crimes, terrorism, bail should be given. Nigeria police should stop locking people up because people petitioned that "they were threatened" or making frivolous claims without an actual harm being done. We have freedom of speech in Nigeria, we should use tax payers money to chase real criminals and lock up real criminals.

Judges must stop sentencing people to prison based on cases on "threats to life" "verbal assault" etc, these cases most times are circumstancial, came about as a result of underlying situations (most times the complainant has provoked the accused, or is owing the accused, this led to the verbal assault or threat. The police should rather issue fines to misdemeanor offenders, make them write undertakings, make them go to rehabilitation, rather than sending them to prison. It's a shame most of the people in our prisons are awaiting trial but should rather issue stern warning to the defendant. Nigerian judges must use good judgement, and know the difference between circumstancial conditions around a crime an offence, and should put this in consideration when delivering judgement. Sending youths and citizens to jail on frivolous claims and petitions by people who disagree with them is quite unreasonable, prisons should e for violent people, people who committed felonious offences. In Nigeria people are cursed and threatened everyday, locking people up because of charges of threats or verbal assault is frivolous and our courts should leave the matters for the police and parties to solve, an undertaking from the accused should be okay to solve this problem.

Our correctional facilities need: Sports recreational facilities, training centres(teach them to build furniture, to be tailors, to be chefs, and actually use the sane ones to work in the prison facilities, we should stop condemning our youths because they committed mild crimes like cyber crimes, crimes of threatening people and other crimes that doesn't directly harm others(non felony offences)

Seun, mynd, lastatica, mods move to frontpage. Many are languishing in prison for nothing.

Stop destroying our human resources, stop condemning youths on misdemeanor charges and offences, by taking him to jail filled with hardened criminals, you are turning him to a hardened criminal, and congesting the jails.

Our brain drain is alsoeas a result of locking up youths for frivolous charges, by locking up a youth, even for a year, you have tampered with his life a d future, destroying families and creating more poverty. Police and judges must make sure prisons are for violent felonious offenders, misdemeanors such as verbal assaults/threats, contract and business disputes, can be settled with agreements, undertakings, commitments, restitutions etc. This will help decongest our prisons, save government bill on maintaining prisoners and improve our human resources.

Lagos state governor should release all those in prison for misdemeanor offences, decongest the prisons, make them pay fines, restitution and bail. We need our human resources.

This is from a concerned citizen, am disturbed by the number of people in jails for misdemeanor offences, it's bad for our economic prosperity, and development of our youth and people.

Fellow patriots, comment let's take this to frontpage.

Seun mynd, mods take to frontpage.

Please let's push to frontpage. Moderators, Seun

You have a point, I know a debtor who wrote a frivolous petition against a man he owes, alleging the man threatened him...if someone threatened you because you owe them money, it's a conditional threat, and everyone should understand it's provocation, but our police are corrupt they don't use common sense, they arrested the man being owed, over mere petition even without investigation.

Patriotsleague:
Lagos state governor should release all those in prison for misdemeanor offences, decongest the prisons, make them pay fines, restitution and bail. We need our human resources.

True talk a lot of innocent people in jails over petitions over threats etc, written by people they have disagreement with. Prisons should be for violent offenders, people should not go to prison for what they say, or verbal assault. Our prisons are dingy, smelly, overcrowded, most of the inmates die of mosquitoes bite. Out prisons are just meant for punishment instead of correcting. How can you reform people there.
It's a shame how we don't value life here, instead of more rehabilitation center, they are building more dungeons.

Johnjustice:

True talk a lot of innocent people in jails over petitions over threats etc, written by people they have disagreement with. Prisons should be for violent offenders, people should not go to prison for what they say, or verbal assault. Our prisons are dingy, smelly, overcrowded, most of the inmates die of mosquitoes bite. Out prisons are just meant for punishment instead of correcting. How can you reform people there.

The Nigerian police problem is corruption, most are always compromised by complainants. The public prosecutor of the state should ensure prisons are for people who actually commit crime. Verbal threats ate issued by people everyday, sending people to court or prison over threat, is a waste of public funds and waste of court's time.

Patriotsleague:

The Nigerian police problem is corruption, most are always compromised by complainants. The public prosecutor of the state should ensure prisons are for people who actually commit crime. Verbal threats ate issued by people everyday, sending people to court or prison over threat, is a waste of public funds and waste of court's time.

I agree, public prosecutors, investigating officers should focus government resources and their time investigating serious crimes, not wasting time on frivolous petitions that are circumstancial, and where the accused made no attempt to actually put the threat to work. The threat is likely a result of provocation, and judges and police investigating officers in investigating bureaus must understand the difference between conditional threats, as a result of provocation from complainant and direct threat from a criminal, that has no reason or provocation to make such threats.

Johnjustice:

I agree, public prosecutors, investigating officers should focus government resources and their time investigating serious crimes, not wasting time on frivolous petitions that are circumstancial, and where the accused made no attempt to actually put the threat to work. The threat is likely a result of provocation, and judges and police investigating officers in investigating bureaus must understand the difference between conditional threats, as a result of provocation from complainant and direct threat from a criminal, that has no reason or provocation to make such threats.

Exactly my point, intent and reason is everything in deciding cases. Is it done under conditions, what's the intent of the threat, is it to get the debtor to pay back or simply malicious intent?

It's sad how inhuman our justice system has become. Men are being raped in prison by the hardened criminals they are placed with, and when they start exhibiting homosexual traits after release, nobody will understand the source of their misfortune.

olu77:
It's sad how inhuman our justice system has become. Men are being raped in prison by the hardened criminals they are placed with, and when they start exhibiting homosexual traits after release, nobody will understand the source of their misfortune.

Hardened criminals must have different jail facilities from people jailed on misdemeanor crimes, and the correctional facilities must be humane and decent for human living. This is what Nigerians should be advocating and calling out the government for. People should not go to jail because of disputes they have with others, this is why our jails are congested and seem the police are only concerned about bail money

Prisons are for hardened criminals, anarchists, armed robbers, terrorists leaders, terrorists, bandits, fraudsters, and proven crooks, locking people up for expressions is a waste of prison and jail space and a waste of resources of government and individuals. Separate prisons for violent criminals, don't put violent criminals in same prison you put people on misdemeanor offences, misdemeanor offences should attract fines, restitution, community service. It is evil to put someone in prison for misdemeanor. Our Senate and house of representatives must expunge Colonial laws and police act meant to oppress Nigerians, we are a free country, we can not afford to be unecessarily mean to Nigerians. We need more rehabilitation centers not prisons to breed monsters, the prisons we have now are breeding monsters. Some prisons in Nigeria are worst than slave camps of colonial era.

You are very right,the most notorious criminal in the south west in recent times godogodo that orchestrated the mma bureau de change robbery said he was arrested for just fighting and taken to prison that’s where he met hardened criminal and formed his deadly gang