Over 1,200 Nigerian offenders are currently carrying out community service across the country, according to the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Nigeria is currently home to 1,271 offenders serving non-custodial sentences, as revealed by the latest statistics from the Nigerian Correctional Service, with the majority being males at 1,137, and females at 134.

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The data, which was obtained on Tuesday, indicates that community service is the most widely used non-custodial measure, with 1,038 offenders nationwide, comprising 992 males and 46 females.

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A closer look at the community service numbers shows a significant disparity between males and females, with males accounting for the vast majority of those serving community sentences.

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Meanwhile, 12 offenders are currently on parole, with nine being males and three being females, according to the statistics.

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The data also reveals that 34 individuals are serving probation sentences, including 30 males and four females, further highlighting the predominance of males in non-custodial populations.

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A summary of the statistics reads: "Total: 1,271, Total Male: 1,137, Total Female: 134, Community Service: 1,038, Male: 992 and Female: 46, Parole: 12, Male: nine and Female: three."

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In addition to community service, parole, and probation, 162 offenders are undergoing restorative justice programmes, consisting of 84 males and 78 females.

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A further 25 offenders are categorized under other non-custodial measures, with 22 being males and three being females, according to the Nigerian Correctional Service data.

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The overall non-custodial population is predominantly male, with males accounting for approximately 89 per cent of the total, while females make up around 11 per cent.

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The non-custodial service was introduced under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, aiming to reduce congestion in custodial centres by providing alternative sentencing options.

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Nigeria's Non-Custodial Service was formally established with the enactment of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, replacing the old Nigerian Prisons Service framework and introducing alternatives to imprisonment.

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The reform, which includes community service, probation, parole, and restorative justice, seeks to reduce overcrowding in custodial centres, promote offender rehabilitation, and improve the administration of criminal justice, aligning with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

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Implementation of the non-custodial service began in phases, starting with the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos, before gradually expanding to other states, including Adamawa, Anambra, Edo, Kano, and Plateau.

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In recent years, awareness and implementation of non-custodial measures have grown, with the Nigerian Correctional Service encouraging state judiciaries to adopt these measures as part of efforts to decongest custodial centres nationwide.