The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed the second reading of a bill aimed at establishing and regulating the Anambra State Correctional Service. The bill seeks to ensure humane and effective management of offenders while providing for both custodial and non-custodial services.
During the debate, Majority Leader Sir Ikenna Ofodeme highlighted the inhumane conditions in correctional centers across the country, emphasizing that overcrowding has hindered rehabilitation efforts. He stressed the need for a legal framework that protects both offenders and administrators, stating, “We are not sending people to correctional centers to die but to rehabilitate them into better individuals.”
Members including Hon. Anayo Okpalaeke (Aguata Constituency One), Engr. Emma Nwafor (Orumba South), and Hon. Obi Nweke (Anambra East) supported the bill, urging for its swift passage. They noted that the law would help decongest detention facilities, reduce the number of awaiting-trial cases, and guide the administration of justice.
Speaker Right Honourable Somtochukwu Udeze described the bill as timely and essential for the state to take greater responsibility for correctional services. He pointed out that other states are also developing similar frameworks.
The Speaker referred the bill to a joint committee on Judiciary and Justice, and Homeland and Boundary Affairs, with a four-week mandate to report back to the Assembly.
