Abia State Governor Alex Otti has decried the inhuman treatment of inmates at correctional centres. He expressed commitment to rehabilitating and improving the Aba and Umuahia Correctional Centres.

Otti told the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions headed Chinedu Ogah that there was a need for humane treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration of detainees.

He said: “We want to ensure that the correctional centres are worthy of their names as places where people are corrected, rehabilitated, and reintegrated into society.

“We will work with the The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to decongest the centres and ensure that those held for minor offenses are released, rehabilitated, and given a second chance.”

The governor said upon assumption of office in 2023, his government reviewed all correctional facilities in the state to identify individuals who were unjustly detained.

He explained that the exercise led to the release of many individuals, particularly those imprisoned for political reasons or minor offenses.

Otti pledged not to compromise public safety and reiterated that the government’s approach balances justice with rehabilitation.