Date: 2018-06-21

WITH a total number of 844 inmates in four prisons of Ilorin, Mandala, Omu Aran, and Lafiagi in Kwara state, the state prisons controller, Mr Adewale Adebisi, has said that crime rate in the state is low when compared with other states of the federation.

Speaking at the 2018 Kwara Security Summit by Urban Security Services, themed, war against internet fraud, drug abuse, cultism and kidnapping in Ilorin on Wednesday, the prisons controller said that the crime rate was moderately low when compared with other states as Rivers, Borno, Delta with high rate of kidnapping, killing etc.

The prisons boss, who said that the security agencies in the state should be commended for the present state of security, if not for the unfortunate incident of recent armed robbery attack in Offa and Kaiama areas of the state, added that there was effective policing compared to other states of the federation.

He, however, said that the crime rate in the state was getting high daily due to economic hardship and high rate of inflation, coupled with the daily influx of inmates to the prisons with unimpressive outflow of inmates out of prison, adding that many graduate youths were jobless, unengaged due to lack of entrepreneurial skills.

Mr Adebisi, who said that the public should be more security conscious and partner with security agencies in the area of intelligence gathering, added that clause in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which asks whether one has been convicted should be revisited.

"The government should establish industries, create jobs and the wealthy citizens should cultivate the habit of helping the less privileged by creating job and empower the youth", he said.

As at June 19, 2018, the Ilorin prison has a total number of 471 inmates of 87 condemned criminals, four convicted females, 57 convicted males, 319 awaiting trials males, four awaiting trials females.

Mandala prison has a total number of 259 inmates of 79 condemned criminals, three convicted inmates, and 177 awaiting trials.

Omu Aran has a total number of 68 inmates of 34 condemned criminals and 34 awaiting trials, while Lafiagi has a total number of 46 inmates of 40 condemned criminals and six awaiting trials.