By Mary Agidi
Recently, there were reports of ex-convicts who were caught in the process of committing one or two criminal acts across Ondo State. It is known as Recidivism and this refers to a situation whereby a convict would commit crime again after supposed “rehabilitation”.
In Akure, the state capital, a middle-aged man was reportedly almost lynched by a mob around Aquinas College while attempting to burgle a shop in August 2025. He was later handed over to security agents. Also, earlier in October this year, a 37-year old man, Omokinwa, said to be an ex-convict, was arrested by the Ondo State Police Command for allegedly beating his girlfriend, Joy Jimoh, to death during a fight over a ₦100,000 refund. Another two ex-convicts were reportedly arraigned before an Akure Chief Magistrate’s Court the same October, over alleged theft of a motorbike and 50 goats in Ore.
These and many more are instances of recidivism in our society, which raises major concerns about the effectiveness of the Nigerian Correctional Centre in living up to its mandate of serving as a rehabilitation centre for inmates, rather than producing hardened criminals who return to society worse than before.
From cells that are jam-packed with inmates to the lack of skills acquisition equipment, the Nigerian Correctional Centre seems not to be doing well in grooming inmates to become better versions of themselves after their release.
Living outside the bubbling world—without access to basic life amenities, under uncomfortable living conditions, unpleasant food and isolation from loved ones and life’s “flenjor”—for years is enough punishment for anyone. Nevertheless, aside from the punitive aspect, the prison is expected to serve as a platform to instill sanity in inmates and bring about a change of attitude after serving their jail terms through rehabilitation and exposure to skills acquisition. Sadly, the current situation of the Nigerian Prison Service is far from this ideal.
Released inmates in Ondo State
As gathered by The Hope, between January and September 2025, the Chief Judge released a total of 43 inmates back into society. These include 17 from Olokuta Maximum Prison; 13 from Owo; 9 from Segede Ondo, and 4 from the Female Prison, Ondo. These figures exclude those granted pardon by the governor to mark his birthday and first-year anniversary this year.
Poor rehabilitation fueling recidivism
Most of these ex-convicts find themselves back in prison due to their inability to cope with the current economic situation, as they have nothing to fall back on or possess any skill through which they could earn an income, thereby returning to crime.
In his contribution, the Ondo State Chairman of the Prison Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Pastor Kehinde Oluwaseyi, decried the nonchalant attitude of the Nigerian government toward the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.
“If the government had been more supportive, rehabilitation would have been easier. Many released inmates get nothing from the government—not even a small take-off grant to start afresh.
“Rehabilitation is a key area the government has neglected, and that is why many ex-convicts return to crime. The government should prioritise budgeting more money for rehabilitation in all correctional centres. They should provide equipment for learning skills like tailoring, carpentry and others.
“At Olokuta, for instance, they only have about six sewing machines and one cobbler. Aside from that, I don’t see anything serious they are doing over there,” he said.
Delayed justice administration
Recently, in September 2025, the Ondo State Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Centre reportedly paid a courtesy visit to the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, SAN, where he informed him that the Olokuta Maximum Prison currently accommodates over 1,600 inmates, out of which 1,200 are awaiting trial. This facility is supposed to house less than a thousand inmates.
This prison congestion has been identified as another factor contributing to recidivism, as petty offenders are being locked up with hardened criminals, where they are tortured and co-opted into criminal groups after leaving prison.
The PFN Chairman also condemned this situation and suggested the partitioning of cells to separate inmates.
“We once recommended that first-time offenders, like petty thieves or minor offenders, should not be kept with hardened criminals. We advised that the prison cells should be partitioned. We wrote a formal letter, but it got nowhere due to the Nigerian factor,” he said.
Stakeholders’ efforts in rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates
Even though the government is expected to shoulder the larger responsibility of ensuring that inmates are rehabilitated and reintegrated back into society, organisations and individuals also have a role to play, as crime affects everyone.
In Ondo State, The Hope gathered that PFN, Don Bosco and a few individuals render rehabilitation support to inmates. Out of the 1,600 inmates at Olokuta, only 21 reportedly benefitted from Don Bosco’s skill acquisition empowerment in June 2025.
The Prison Fellowship of Nigeria has been at the forefront of rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.
In Ondo State, years back, St. Joseph House was effective in accommodating, rehabilitating and reintegrating inmates. However, its functionality has recently reduced due to a lack of external support.
According to the Public Relations Officer of PFN in Ondo State ,who is also an active member of St. Joseph house, Mr. Akin Akinbosoye, the burden of catering for the reintegration of inmates has been left to members of the fellowship and St. Joseph House.
Unlike in some countries, the Nigerian government does not sponsor PFN’s activities or provide financial and technical support.
“I have used my personal vehicle for over ten years to transport inmates to hospitals and St. Joseph House. We spend our money. PFN comprises volunteers from various denominations who spend their time and resources. In other countries, philanthropists and governments sponsor such efforts,” he said.
Media involvement in inmates’ reintegration
If a society is peaceful and devoid of consistent criminal acts, everyone will live without fear. But if the reverse is the case, every individual, regardless of social status, is not safe from criminal attacks—hence the need for all hands to be on deck.
Rehabilitation of inmates should also form part of the constituency projects of lawmakers and other well-meaning individuals. Meanwhile, while many wealthy individuals might not think in that direction, the media has been charged to join in advocacy campaigns to draw their attention to the issue.
As stated by the PFN Chairman, a few individuals have been assisting by celebrating their birthdays with inmates and making donations toward their welfare in Ondo State, noting that if more people cultivate this habit, rehabilitation would become easier.
“Rehabilitation should be everyone’s responsibility. Government, religious bodies and private citizens all have roles to play. For instance, when one of our members, the late Chief (Mrs) Oyinsan, marked her 70th birthday, she cooked and celebrated with inmates, instead of throwing a party. Likewise, Dr. Gbenga Fasua, Chairman of Akure South Local Government, celebrated his birthday with inmates. Such gestures bring joy and hope to them.