By Hy Muminat Ajide
Agba Jalingo, a journalist and former inmate of Afokang prison, challenged the misconception that prison food is free, stating on his Facebook page, “When they joke that food in lya Basira shop is 1k and food in prison is free, put the joke on them.”
He described their meals, “We were served beans on a stainless plate from Monday to Saturday. Sundays brought rice with stew in a blue rubber container.”
Considering that the 2024 budget allocated to the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) was N24,447,582,237 for catering materials and foodstuffs.
However, reports by Punch Newspaper revealed disparities in resource allocation.
NCoS reportedly spends N800 per day per dog for its 900 dogs, while allocating only N750 daily to feed each prisoner, equating to N250 per meal.
During a session with the National Assembly Committee on Interior, Controller General Haliru Nababa acknowledged these disparities and proposed increasing the daily feeding cost per inmate to N3,000, pending approval from the Minister of Interior.
Mr. Jalingo, publisher of Cross-River Watch, was arrested in August 2019 for accusing the Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, of diverting N500 million belonging to the state. He was subsequently charged under the Cybercrimes Act in December 2022 following a complaint from Elizabeth Ayade.
Critics argue that the current feeding rates remain inadequate, prompting calls for transparency and accountability in prison food provisions and budget allocations.
Ingiagah Cecilia expressed concern, stating, “It will be worse now that foodstuffs are more expensive.”
Ekenganwan Etang added, “Is it the prisoners who caused this? What about the budget for food for the prisoners? Dear Lord! Man’s inhumanity to man.”
