Britain 'to build £1m jail in Nigeria' for 400 prisoners serving sentences HERE
By James Slack
Last updated at 10:40 PM on 08th July 2009
British taxpayers are to provide £1million for a comfortable jail in Nigeria to take convicts whose crimes were committed in the UK.

The prison would house 400 Nigerian inmates incarcerated in our own packed prisons who cannot be forcibly sent home to complete their punishments.

Jails there are considered so rough that any prisoner the UK tried to deport could oppose their removal on human rights grounds.

'Appalling' Jos Prison: To avoid deporting convicted Nigerians to in jails like this - and not face human rights abuse claims - the UK will build new facilities there


But the Government hopes that by spending as much as £1million turning a rundown Nigerian prison into something approaching British standards, the convicts could be repatriated.


Lin Homer, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency, told MPs the deal would save taxpayers' money, because the UK would no longer have to pay the £30,000-a-year cost of keeping inmates in our own jails.


Lin Homer, the UK Border agency chief, said it would save taxpayers' mone


'We are in negotiations with Nigeria to help them establish better prison conditions,' she said.

'It's about helping them generate a structure that can cope with the prisoners. It would be well worth the money to do so.'

But Matthew Elliott of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'It's an absolute scandal that British taxpayers may foot the bill for a Nigerian prison.

'The Government should not even entertain this nonsense proposal, particularly at a time when our own prison service is so desperately in need of funds.

'If Nigerians are here illegally and are going to be deported, we should be sending them home immediately.'

Damian Green, the shadow immigration minister, said: 'This should not mean in the long term we build prisons all around the world instead of sorting out our own deportation processes.'

Ministers have been frantically searching for a solution to the UK's chronic prisoner overcrowding crisis since 2005, when the number of foreign criminals soared past 11,000 - the equivalent of more than one in every eight inmates.


Prisoners have been offered cash windfalls - which some say are bribes - if they returned home voluntarily.

But this is the first time the Government has announced firm plans to provide funding for a jail overseas.

The idea had been suggested in relation to Jamaica, but never got off the ground.

It would require Nigeria to change its laws so prisoners could be sent back without their consent.



Human rights groups say current conditions in Nigerian prisons are appalling.

Amnesty International said there was severe overcrowding, and more than half of prisoners are awaiting trial - some for up to ten years.

During the same home affairs committee evidence session yesterday, Mrs Homer updated MPs on how the Home Office is dealing with two scandals - the 2006 foreign prisoner fiasco, and the discovery of up to 450,000 outstanding asylum claims.

Three years on from the mistaken release of 1,000 overseas inmates without them even being considered for deportation, almost two-thirds are still in the UK.

Incredibly, 87 of the 1,000 convicts - who included killers and sex attackers - have yet to be even traced. Of those who have been located, only 348 have been deported or removed.

The remainder have either been told they can stay - often because removal back to their homeland would be a breach of human rights law - or are still going through the deportation process.

Mrs Homer also revealed that, so far, 197,500 of the 450,000 asylum 'legacy' cases discovered by the Home Office in 2006 had been processed.

More than 30 per cent have been awarded asylum, in an exercise that has been described an amnesty by opponents. At current rates, more than 100,000 people with claims dating back years will be awarded permission to stay in the UK.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1198401/Britain-build-3m-jail-Nigeria-400-prisoners-serving-sentences-here.html#

But the Government hopes that by spending as much as £1million turning a rundown Nigerian prison into something approaching British standards, the convicts could be repatriated.

complete with plasma TV, Playstation 3 and cushy toilets

Dis Guy:


complete with plasma TV, Playstation 3 and cushy toilets

unfortunately prison is still a prison

'We are in negotiations with Nigeria to help them establish better prison conditions,' she said.

'It's about helping them generate a structure that can cope with the prisoners. It would be well worth the money to do so.'

You believe them?  Why are they always trying to help someone else, don't their own people need help?

The truth is these people are trying to further corrupt our society and commercialise our prison systems.  We dont need such help.  These criminals in their hold committed murder and rape in England, they should serve that term in England or wherever they are in the Queen's dominion.  If they have no clue what to do with them, then change the British law to accomodate that need for their disposition without dumping them in Nigeria.

How are they sure the jail won't look like others in Nigeria within 6 months.
Who will maintain the prison?

This is soo laughable. The British Government is sooo clueless as to what to do with their foreign prisoners. First of all it was to convert a ship into a floating prison, now a better idea is to move it down to Nigeria. Me thinks they are just looking for an easy way out.

Negro_Ntns:



You believe them?  Why are they always trying to help someone else, don't their own people need help?

The truth is these people are trying to further corrupt our society and commercialise our prison systems.  We dont need such help.  These criminals in their hold committed murder and rape in England, they should serve that term in England or wherever they are in the Queen's dominion.  If they have no clue what to do with them, then change the British law to accomodate that need for their disposition without dumping them in Nigeria.  

I am not so sure of your view.

The article is talking about criminal who have no right to be in the UK in the first place. It is a common knowledge that nations have agreement that allows them to send prisoners to finish off their jail term in their home country etc. . . It appears there may be one between Nigeria and UK.

Let us look at the bigger picture here:

The UK would be saving money [The biggest point]

The idea of having a "cushy" UK jail may deter would-be future criminals [who may be illegal immigrants in the first place]

It would free up the prison here and allow more criminal to be sent to jail.

Nigeria would have at least a proper prison that meets certain international standard - something that would save both nations headache from lawyers etc.

This prison if built could potentially create jobs etc.


I think which ever way we look at this, Nigeria and UK would truly gain from it. How this would corrupt our society is something I dont understand. We already have killers, rapist etc back home. . . . all this scheme is doing is making sure they have a better prison to house them.




And another the article says that am not so sure about. I know that money is offered to fail asylum seekers [they are not criminals] to go back home, and start a business etc. I dont think money is offered to criminals like they are claiming.

Just looking at the source of the story. . . and seeing that it is from the daily mail. . . Please do not take them that serious, they appear to like scaremongering and dislike immigrants imo.

Razur, you are correct and I see your point. At what point do we say enough is enough? Do you know for how many years Britain has proposed help as an introduction to exert more control over our social life?

I have copies of documents drafted by the United Kingdom back in the 1800s offering to help and protect the Kings of Warri and Opobo against their enemies. What was the outcome? Between that century and now. . . there has been numerous proposals citing help and protection as an idealism. It is fraudulent and we ought to know that by now.

good

we need alot of prisons


we need ps3 for when we finally start locking up our corrupt governors

Negro_Ntns:

Razur, you are correct and I see your point.  At what point do we say enough is enough?   Do you know for how many years Britain has proposed help as an introduction to exert more control over our social life?  

I have copies of documents drafted by the United Kingdom back in the 1800s offering to help and protect the Kings of Warri and Opobo against their enemies.  What was the outcome?  Between that century and now. . . there has been numerous proposals citing help and protection as an idealism.  It is fraudulent and we ought to know that by now.

Well do you suggest we turn down the offer of a better prison system? Personally, I see your angle of the debate. I would suggest we let them finish building or paying for the prison [I prefer the first option] and we can cut ties with them [on the level you are talking about off-course] if that is what we really want.

In order to catch a monkey, apparently one have to act and be like a monkey.

Only 1 million pounds?

strangleyo:

good

we need alot of prisons

Do you need a new house? Or you wan change address? I'm just joking.
But don't you think UK is looking for a cheap way (1 million pounds only) to offload their problem on us? It will cost us much more than 1 million pounds to rehabilitate (or just free) the 400.

didnt Britain use to deport her prisoners overseas?

Why cant she do the same now. Not necessarily to Nigeria but somewhere else.

Beaf:

Only 1 million pounds?
Do you need a new house? Or you wan change address? I'm just joking.
But don't you think UK is looking for a cheap way (1 million pounds only) to offload their problem on us? It will cost us much more than 1 million pounds to rehabilitate (or just free) the 400.

How is it UK's problem, when they are Nigerian criminal who are illegal in the UK? They should not be in the UK in the first place illegal, not to talk of coming here illegally AND committing a crime.

This is one of the most sensational news headlines i've read in a while.

ElRazur:

How is it UK's problem, when they are Nigerian criminal who are illegal in the UK? They should not be in the UK in the first place illegal, not to talk of coming here illegally AND committing a crime.

The crime was committed here in UK, if you can't jail them here deport them. Its not Nigerian court that sentenced them so why should they be in Nigerian prison. Have they build one for Jamaicans cuz am sure their are more Jamos behind the bars than Nigerians.

presido1:

The crime was committed here in UK, if you can't jail them here deport them. Its not Nigerian court that sentenced them so why should they be in Nigerian prison. Have they build one for Jamaicans cuz am sure their are more Jamos behind the bars than Nigerians.

Because Jamaican prisons meet international standards unlike Nigeria. Jamaicans in UK prisons also don't cry foul when they are about to be sent home to serve their sentences, unlike Nigerians.

Illegal Nigerians in prisons should be deported pronto in my view. No need to waste our money making sure their human rights are not abused as these individuals obviously didn't care about that when they committed their crimes.

It wont happen

presido1:

The crime was committed here in UK, if you can't jail them here deport them. Its not Nigerian court that sentenced them so why should they be in Nigerian prison. Have they build one for Jamaicans cuz am sure their are more Jamos behind the bars than Nigerians.

presido1:

The crime was committed here in UK, if you can't jail them here deport them. Its not Nigerian court that sentenced them so why should they be in Nigerian prison. Have they build one for Jamaicans cuz am sure their are more Jamos behind the bars than Nigerians.

how would you know this?  what is the total population of jamaica? that will tell you how wrong you are.  the number of nigerian female prisoners alone will dwarf that of the jamaicans and other caribean nations let alone add the men.

our society raised most of them up to see nothing wrong in taking what doesnt belong to them so they rightly belong to nigeria as its problems.

ElRazur:

How is it UK's problem, when they are Nigerian criminal who are illegal in the UK? They should not be in the UK in the first place illegal, not to talk of coming here illegally AND committing a crime.

what medication are you on today? yu are suddenly making sense.

JustGood:

It wont happen

ssomeone leaked the story to stop it happening.

presido1:

The crime was committed here in UK, if you can't jail them here deport them. Its not Nigerian court that sentenced them so why should they be in Nigerian prison. Have they build one for Jamaicans cuz am sure their are more Jamos behind the bars than Nigerians.

Say what? Nations have agreement between them with regards to jail sentencing of prisoners. Like I said before, it appears there is one between the UK and Nigeria. Both country benefit from it, so why not? They should not be here in the first place, talk less of committing crime. They UK is doing well and at the same looking after herself. Which ever way, Nigeria benefit.

Where is your evidence to back up your claim? But any way, that is not even the point.

GEW:

what medication are you on today? yu are suddenly making sense.   

Do I know you? But any how, keep up the patronization.

See them again,

Building prisons for us instead of schools.

I wish Bob Marley is still alive.

He would have started writing songs on this,

Bloody British

This is another Guantanamo Bay but this time from Great Britain to show itz greatness.

presido1:

This is another Guantanamo Bay but this time from Great Britain to show itz greatness.

for nigerian criminals

hmm,

The devilish queen and her plot wont work again here unless the abokis they handed power to will allow them to build the prisons in Kano and Kaduna

presido1:

This is another Guantanamo Bay but this time from Great Britain to show itz greatness.

Come on now, let us not get carried away. Without answering the question posed at you, you instead started drawing parallels that aint even on the same level. People in Guanta are having issues with the US and a different set of law applies to them.

How hard is it to understand that these Nigerians are not supposed to be here in the first place? Surely if they are citizens, then their jail term would be spent in a UK prison. . . . Man Nah wah o.


PS
On the offensive side, perhaps if your own government - Nigeria - Get their act together UK wont have to be doing what they are supposed to have done for them? Just a thought.

Sam Milla:

See them again,

Building prisons for us instead of schools.

I wish Bob Marley is still alive.

He would have started writing songs on this,

Bloody British

Are the British responsible for building your schools?

The Prison offer is what it is, an offer! If anything, it will stop Nigeria from being embarrassed on a world stage as most foreign prisoners opt to go home to serve their sentences. But it appears that the Nigerians in UK prisons have a major problem with going home to their country and that in itself speaks volumes.

AngieFan:

Are the British responsible for building your schools?

The Prison offer is what it is, an offer! If anything, it will stop Nigeria from being embarrassed on a world stage as most foreign prisoners opt to go home to serve their sentences. But it appears that the Nigerians in UK prisons have a major problem with going home to their country and that in itself speaks volumes.

Are they responsible for building our prisons?

Dont they have a better offer than a place to lock people up?
How about computer classes, hospitals. labs

Things that could make more people stay away from being locked up?
A stitch in time saves nine.

We dont need their offer. Thats how US offered to build military bases in Nigeria and West Africa.

Dont be ignorant miss.
Foreign politics is different from what you see on the papers.
Do you know how many Nigerians they will be shipping back if they succeded in building that thing?

Sam Milla:

Are they responsible for building our prisons?

Dont they have a better offer than a place to lock people up?
How about computer classes, hospitals. labs

Things that could make more people stay away from being locked up?
A stitch in time saves nine.

We dont need their offer. Thats how US offered to build military bases in Nigeria and West Africa.

Dont be ignorant miss.
Foreign politics is different from what you see on the papers.
Do you know how many Nigerians they will be shipping back if they succeded in building that thing?

A military base is a totally different kettle of fish from a prison that will be used to house convicted criminals in their own country. Also the only Nigerians that will be shipped back to serve their time in such a prison will be those who are in the UK illegally.
Legal Nigerians residents in the UK who have committed a crime are also deported but from what I have gathered they are most times deported as free men once they have served their sentences and will have no need for such a prison.

Agreed, they are not responsible for building Nigerian prisons but they are responsible for Nigerians who have been tried and convicted in their courts and who have no right to be in the UK. Hence, the offer to build a decent prison to house them in their own country. Do you know how many Nigerians in UK prisons use the state of Nigerian prisons as an excuse not to be deported?

That being said I don’t want my tax money being used to build a prison in Nigeria because there are plenty of things that can be done with that money in the UK. If it were up to me I would simply ship the criminals on the day of conviction on the next thing smoking to Nigeria with a quickness!

AngieFan:

Are the British responsible for building your schools?

The Prison offer is what it is, an offer! If anything, it will stop Nigeria from being embarrassed on a world stage as most foreign prisoners opt to go home to serve their sentences. But it appears that the Nigerians in UK prisons have a major problem with going home to their country and that in itself speaks volumes.

perhaps they have nothing back home.they would rather prefer 2 die in bri.prison.
D british r smart:they know it's 4 d long term cos nigerians will still commit more crime,again and again.

The British Human rights nonsense sometimes makes me laugh, building prison in Nigeria!!! if these prisoners have commited crimes like rape and murder in the UK and are not British they should be able to serve their term in Nigeria whether the prison conditions is good or not, that's why its called PRISON for Christ sake. Prison is not meant to be cushy and comfy for the inmates. I abhor these set of Nigerian who go about commiting crimes and making life difficult for ordinary decent Nigerians. 'll say kick them out!!! and let them face the consequences of their actions. Stupid rapists and murderers

umh Why not build one for our corrupt leaders?(Obj)and co, cause they are the problem why people are living nigeria and settling elsewhere without hope. And that automatically lead to crime.

They recieve illegal/stolen money from from our politicians but won't receive illegal prisoners. I suggest they send back all those illegal funds together with the illegal prisoners.