“Female Inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres Rose by 4.82% in 2022: NBS Report”
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its Statistical Report on Women and Men in Nigeria 2022 in Abuja, revealing a 4.82% increase in the percentage of female inmates admitted into Nigerian correctional centres in 2022.
The report outlined that in 2020, the percentage of females admitted stood at 4.90%, which decreased to 4.48% in 2021, before rising to 4.82% in 2022. Meanwhile, male inmates accounted for 95.10%, 95.52%, and 95.18% in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.
Both men and women were predominantly convicted for stealing, with the number of men convicted decreasing from 40,555 in 2020 to 31,921 in 2021, before increasing to 44,477 in 2022. Similarly, the number of women convicted for stealing decreased from 1,981 in 2020 to 1,320 in 2021, and further to 1,272 in 2022.
The report highlighted a decline in bank fraud, noting that there were no arrests or convictions in 2021, but an increase in the number of arrests in 2022.
In terms of drug-related offences, male suspects accounted for 90% of all arrests, while female suspects ranged from 7.35% to 7.62% between 2020 and 2022.
Regarding trafficking, the percentage of females trafficked for forced labour decreased from 64.87% in 2020 to 59.14% in 2022. Additionally, the report revealed an increase in the percentage of women aged 15 to 49 who experienced physical violence since age 15, rising from 27.80% in 2013 to 31% in 2018.
The report also highlighted that 8.20% of females aged 0 to 14 had been circumcised in Nigeria in 2021, and the percentage of females aged 26 to 35 trafficked decreased from 87.86% in 2020 to 71.09% in 2022.
Adeyemi Adeniran, the Statistician-General of the Federation, emphasized that the report analyzed gender equality across various domains, aiming to support policies and programs enhancing equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities for women and men in Nigeria.