The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed that a total number of 3,833 prisoners are on death row nationwide, accounting for about five percent of the total inmate population of 81,558.
Deputy Controller Abubakar Umar disclosed these statistics in an interview in Abuja.
According to current NCoS data, Ogun State leads with the highest number of death row inmates at 568, followed by Rivers (504), Enugu (328), Lagos (314), and Delta (256).
In contrast, Osun currently has no death row inmates, Ebonyi and Oyo have two each, Kogi has three, and Anambra has four.
Umar explained that these differences likely stem from varying crime rates, judicial processes, and state government actions, such as signing death warrants or approving clemency requests.
He emphasized that managing death row inmates poses significant challenges, particularly due to prison congestion and financial pressure on the federal government.
As of Tuesday, July 22, 2025, the 3,833 death row inmates consist of 3,754 males and 79 females.
Delving deeper into the overall inmate population, Umar noted that 24,252 inmates (29%) have been convicted (23,725 males, 457 females), while 53,473 (66%) are awaiting trial (52,066 males, 1,407 females). This brings the grand total to 81,558 inmates across all custodial centers in Nigeria.
While Umar declined to comment on the number of hangmen employed by the service, he highlighted that many state governments have established prerogatives of mercy committees to review convicted cases.
He noted that many death row inmates have benefited from these reviews, making meaningful contributions to society.
He urged the public to recognize that the NCoS actively engages inmates on death row through educational and vocational training programs, ensuring they “don’t wallow endlessly under the toga of death sentence.”
