Ogun, Rivers, Enugu top death row inmates list — NCoS

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed that Ogun and Rivers states currently top the list of inmates on death row, with 568 and 504 cases respectively, out of a national total of 3,833 death row inmates.

This was disclosed by Deputy Controller of Corrections and Service Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Umar, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

Umar dismissed recent reports claiming Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos have the highest numbers of Inmates on Death Row (IDR), describing the statistics as inaccurate.

According to him, the top five states with the highest death row populations are Ogun (568), Rivers (504), Enugu (328), Lagos (314), and Delta (256).

At the opposite end of the spectrum, he listed Osun as having no death row inmates, while Ebonyi and Oyo have two each, Kogi three, and Anambra four.

As of July 22, 2025, the NCoS reported a total custodial population of 81,558 inmates nationwide. Of this figure, 3,833 inmates—about five per cent—are on death row, comprising 3,754 males and 79 females.

Umar highlighted the strain that managing death row inmates places on the system, especially regarding congestion and financial burden on the federal government.

He explained that inmate classification includes awaiting trial, short-term convicts, long-term convicts, lifers, death row inmates, debtors, females, and juveniles.

“Out of the entire inmate population, 24,252 are convicted—29 per cent—while 53,473, or 66 per cent, are awaiting trial,” Umar said.

Responding to inquiries about hangmen, Umar declined to comment but noted that many state governments operate prerogative of mercy committees that periodically review death row cases.

He also emphasised that inmates on death row are being engaged meaningfully through educational and vocational programs.

“The service doesn’t allow them to wallow endlessly under the toga of a death sentence,” he added.

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