Nigeria Frees 2,600 Prisoners to Ease Overcrowding

(Bloomberg) --

Nigeria granted amnesty to 2,600 prisoners as part of measures to reduce overcrowding in the country’s jails amid the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola said.

Those released include inmates older 60 years, those with health problems and others approaching the end of their sentences, he told reporters Thursday in Abuja, the capital.

Other African countries have also released prisoners in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ethiopia pardoned about 5,000 inmates and Kenya released about 4,000.

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