Claim: Nigerian prison inmates do not get released based on good conduct.

Verdict: False

Background

On Friday, January 24, 2025, a Facebook user, Patience Adah, posted a short clip of a man being paraded at the Anambra Women Affairs office, where he appeared remorseful of his crime. See the video here.

The clip followed an incident in Anambra State, where a man identified as Sunday Nwanna, a native of Abagana,  was alleged to have set his wife ablaze during an argument on Tuesday, January 21, with the latter succumbing to her injuries in the early hours of Wednesday, January 22.

The incident reflected a case of  gender-based violence, an umbrella term for harmful acts of abuse perpetrated against a person’s will and rooted in a system of unequal power between women and men.

  While the Anambra State Police command is still investigating the matter, it has gained traction online, with netizens weighing in on it. As of the time of the writing of this report, the clip has about 138k views, 548 likes, 352 comments, and 324 shares. 

One of the comments by Banjo Stephnie Chizoro Uzoma read, “Why I like 9ja prison be say if them sentence you to any number of years, they won’t release you after few years based on good conduct.You must suffer the consequences. Only God knows why am not a judge sha🤔🤔🤔 na death by burning I for give am.”

Screenshot of the comment

The claim asserted that convicted inmates in the Nigerian prison system do not get pardons from the government  based on good conduct while serving their prison sentences.  The comment, made on the same day the video was posted, has already garnered a like from another Facebook user.

Hence, the check to ascertain the veracity of the claim that Nigerian inmates are not being released on good conduct. The check also aims to educate Nigerians on prison laws as applicable in the country.

Verification

To ascertain the authenticity or otherwise of the claim, we consulted the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), wherein Part 45 talked about the stipulations for an inmate to be granted parole, and Section 468 (1) of the Act states that the Comptroller-General of Prisons may recommend a prisoner to the court for parole if such a prisoner is of good behaviour.

We also checked the Nigerian Correctional Service—Standing Orders Custodial (Revised Edition) 2020, wherein Section 110 (c) and d) of the Act says that inmates who are awarded certificates of good conduct may be considered for “reduction of sentence or discharge and may be pardoned on or after discharge by the Prerogative of Mercy committee.” 

ConclusionAfter consulting the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015) and the Nigerian Correctional Service—Standing Orders Custodial (Revised Edition) 2020, it is determined that Nigerian inmates may be eligible for a reduction of sentence or discharge on the basis of good conduct. Therefore, the claim that convicted inmates in Nigeria will not be released based on good conduct while serving their prison sentences is false and misleading.