Breaking: Nigeria considers release of prison inmates as Coronavirus cases rise to 65

Nigeria has recorded 14 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number to 65.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced this via its Twitter handle on Thursday night.

It said 12 of the cases are in Lagos while two are in Abuja.

14 new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Nigeria: 2 in FCT, 12 in Lagos

Of the 14, 6 were detected on a vessel, 3 are returning travellers into Nigeria & 1 is close contact of a confirmed case

As at 7:35 pm 26th March, there are

65 confirmed cases
3 discharged
1 death pic.twitter.com/123vN6oNEB

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) March 26, 2020

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has called for the immediate decongestion of all correctional centres in the country as a measure to ensure that Coronavirus does not find its way into any of the centres. 

In a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Manga, the Minister made the call during an emergency meeting held in his office in Abuja on how to manage the custodial centres of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS during the Coronavirus pandemic.

He stated that the meeting was conveyed in response to the outcome of the Presidential Task Force meeting on Coronavirus, noting that the safety of inmates, staff of the Nigeria Correctional Service and all Nigerians was of great concern to the government.