The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has claimed that three out of every four inmates in Nigerian prisons are innocent, blaming the troubling figure on deep-rooted corruption and failures in the country’s justice system.
The shocking revelation came during the 2025 annual conference of the RCCG Prison & Hospital Ministry, held on Saturday, May 31, at the church’s Redemption Camp in Ogun State.
Pastor Ariyo Popoola, the ministry’s national chairman, said the statistic was not speculative but drawn from real-life experiences with inmates whose cases never stood in court.
“When we say 75% of people in prison are innocent, we base it on actual cases,” Popoola said. “Many are awaiting DPP advice for years, only to be told there was no case in the first place. Some are charged with armed robbery, but five years later, it’s revealed they had no case to answer. Their lives are wasted in prison.”
He criticised the country’s policing methods and judicial system, accusing security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police, of ignoring proper investigation procedures before making arrests.
“In civil societies like the U.S. or the U.K., investigations are done before arrests. In Nigeria, arrests happen first, and investigations come later, if at all. In the meantime, lives are destroyed by a broken system,” he added.
Popoola also accused police officers of extorting complainants before filing reports or granting access to detainees.
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“You can’t even report a crime without paying for biro, exercise books, or disinfectants,” he said. “And when arrests are made, suspects may be held for days without access to the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), who may be chasing another case.”
He said many detainees were brought before magistrate courts without case files or evidence, resulting in long-term imprisonment for offences they never committed.
Also speaking at the event, Pastor Akin John, who represented RCCG National Overseer Pastor Sunday Akande, called for better healthcare and humane conditions in correctional facilities and hospitals.
In response, Superintendent Odukoya Owolola, spokesperson for Ogun State correctional centres, said prison officials have no say over who is jailed or freed.
“Our duty is to keep those brought to us based on valid court warrants. We do not investigate or adjudicate. We only accept and release inmates according to legal documentation,” he said.
However, Owolola acknowledged that the Correctional Service Act now allows for some cases to be settled outside court through restorative justice.
The RCCG’s bold claim has reignited calls for urgent reforms, especially to address wrongful detentions, prolonged trials, and endemic corruption in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.