THE AMNESTY International has called on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate actions to prevent the spread of the COVID–19 pandemic in correctional and detention centres.

The call made on Thursday in a series of tweet revealed that prisoners and detainees at police and military facilities across Nigeria are at risk of contracting the Covid-19 infection as they are held in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions that can be even more deadly in the hot weather.

Giving a statistic of some prison capacities across the country, AI revealed that most prisons are overly crowded with Kaduna prisons capacity: 473 and a Lock up of 1,480 inmates, Port Harcourt Maximum Prison: Capacity: 804 and a Lock up of 4,576 inmates,

While Enugu Maximum Prison with the capacity of 638 and has a lock up of 2077, and Warri Prison capacity 500 and a lock up of 1400 inmates.

The organization also advised that Nigeria must implement appropriate measures to ensure the protection of women and children from all forms of violence and the government must increase support for services and protection, including shelters, hotlines, online advice platforms and criminal justice processes especially during the covid-19 crises.