www.dailytrust.com.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=158691:fg-to-spend-n5bn-on-feeding-of-prisoners&catid=1:news&Itemid=2

The Federal Government has earmarked N5 billion
for the feeding of prison inmates across the
nation, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru
Musdapher has said.
Speaking yesterday at a public hearing organised
by the Senate Joint Committee on Judiciary,
Human Rights and Legal Matters, Interior and
Police Affairs investigating the plight of persons
awaiting trial in Nigeria’s prisons, Musdapher
noted that the money was part of the N57.7billion
voted for the Nigeria Prisons Service in the 2012
budget.
Musdapher, represented by the Chief Judge of the
Federal Capital Territory, Justice Lawal Gummi,
said as of last April; 34,390 out of the 48,632
inmates in the country were awaiting trial.
According to him, the N5billion earmarked for
prisoners’ feeding this year implies that each of
them will be fed with N250 on a daily basis.
He, however, submitted that “N250 daily ration is
not a realistic feeding budget per day for
prisoners. It must be increased to reflect the
present economic realities.”
The CJN, who further regretted the nation’s
judicial system “is not working in full throttle,” said
the situation had adversely affected the state of
prisons and the welfare of prisoners in the
country.
He also blamed the rising number of prisoners
awaiting trial in the country on what he termed
the indiscriminate and frivolous arrest of suspects
by the police who, according to him, merely use it
for the purpose of extortion.
According to him, for usually arresting suspects
before investigations, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) is also causing prison
congestion.
He said, “The court will henceforth be reluctant to
remand a suspect when an investigation has not
been carried out.”
He said there would soon be a proposal for
constitution review in order to empower the
nation’s CJN to regulate the administration of
justice on cases of corrupt practices and “make
rules for expeditious trial of cases.”
The CJN also called on judges in the country to
frequently visit prisons to ensure the release of
inmates whose detentions are against the law.
Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Senator
Umaru Dahiru (PDP, Sokoto), said “Our prisons
are indiscriminately used in keeping all classes of
suspects who may not necessarily be behind bars
for punitive measures, but rather for reformatory
measures.”

N 250 DAILY to feed one person (prisoner)? How can that be enough? How much would Jonathan spend on himself (and his already overly fed family)? ~ N 1B!

At least they are many and not like that thief spending N850,000 for a meal .