FG Feeds Security Dogs More Than Prisoners — CG Nigeria Custom Service [VIDEO]

Nigerian Custom Service (NCS)

Prison officials feed the 900 dogs in their custody facilities with N800 per day, while an inmate receives N750

"So, a dog is better fed in the Nigerian prison than an innocent Nigerian in your custody” Oshiomhole said

Oshiomhole shocked over FG's treatment of dogs and inmates
Speaking further, the lawmaker demanded a breakdown of the NCS budget as they got furious over priorities given to dogs rather than inmates

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) has stated that the federal government provides better food for security dogs than it does for prisoners.

Haliru Nababa, the controller-general of the NCS, revealed this during a joint hearing of the National Assembly Committee on Interior.

He claimed to have written the interior minister asking for a review of the daily feeding allowance for the prisoners, which they are now awaiting approval for, going from N750 to N3,000.

“We are therefore seeking the assistance of the National Assembly to approve the increment.

“We have made provision for the feeding of inmates, dogs and staff on training in six training institutions across the country. The money is grossly inadequate,” the NCS boss said.

He says that there will be 81,354 prisoners in the country in 2023, 53,352 of whom are awaiting trial.

The NCS team was questioned by committee chairman Senator Adams Oshiomhole about the cost of purchasing the amount of food and ingredients required to cook a prisoner's meal.

Oshiomhole stated; “This is a very important assignment. A lot of Nigerians under your care are innocent. They are in prisons, courtesy of big men and women who want to teach them a lesson. Many of them are there on an offence they knew nothing about. However, the system has put them under your care.

“Somebody said if Mandela was in a Nigerian prison for 27 years, he would have lost his sanity by the time he was released to govern South Africa.

“Our prisons are meant to correct the behaviours of the people. They are not condemnation centres. They are not to dehumanise.

“How can you look us eye to eye and tell us that you feed a grown- up man in Nigeria with N750 a day?

“One thing has come out is that non-convicted Nigerian is being fed with N750 and you feed each of the dogs under your care with N800 per day.

“So, a dog is better fed in the Nigerian prison than an innocent Nigerian in your custody.

“It is a policy issue. We don't know the intention of government to appropriate money to feed animals than to feed human beings. It is a major policy issue for us,” he added.

“The budget for feeding each of them per day of N751 per day at N250 per meal, per inmate,” the CG said, explaining that the feeding allowance per day would be reduced to N720 after the deduction of VAT and tax.

The CG and his team stated they had a menu of what the prisoners should eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner based on the area they are being remanded to when the joint panel demanded a breakdown of the menu being served to the prisoners as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The CG clarified that they were not with the menu chart, adding that the chart includes information on the amount of food and the ingredients needed to prepare it.

“They are not guilty of any offence known to law. They are innocent under our laws. For an innocent Nigerian who is being held in a correctional home N250 per meal is grossly inadequate. I wonder what you are feeding them with. They are obviously underfed,” he said 

Oshiomhole questioned how the NCS authorities were able to feed the prisoners for such a meager amount of money based on market value.

According to the NCS chief, at least 53,352 people are still pending trial and have not yet been found guilty.