The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved the sum of N3.5 billion for the purchase of 320 operational vehicles for the Nigeria Prison Service, NPS, as part of efforts to decongest prisons across the country.

Minister of Interior, Abdulrahaman Dambazau, made this known while briefing state house correspondents after Wednesday’s FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The minister noted that the vehicles would be bought locally in line with the government’s policy of patronising local vehicle assembling companies.

He said: “In our efforts to strengthen the Criminal Justice System, to also contribute towards decongesting the prison system, we presented a memo for the procurement of 320 operational vehicles for the prison service at the cost of N3.5 billion.

“This procurement will be from local manufacturers, assemblers and vendors within Nigeria, and the effort is to follow through government policy to ensure that most of the procurement for equipment and vehicles are done locally.

“That will also provide opportunity for job creation and things like that.”

Dambazzu also said that interior ministry was looking at the best way it could improve the conveyance of inmates to courts so that their chances of getting justice would not be jeopardised.

According to him, many prisoners remain in prison longer than necessary because of the lack of operational vehicles that will convey them to courts.

Dambazau revealed that there were about 65,000 prisoners across the country with over 70 per cent awaiting trial.