Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) have been directed to protect all custodial centres in the country.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, gave the directive on Friday at a meeting with squadron commanders of the service at the NCoS Headquarters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Amid the disturbing spate of insecurity in the country, the minister directed all officers of the services to defend the custodial centres at all costs.
“More importantly, you are armed and positioned to directly guard them and defend their integrity. Your mission is to defend the facilities at all costs. Let me repeat again, defend them at all costs,” he told the officials at the meeting.
Aregbesola added, “You are empowered by the highest authority in the land to use every means necessary to defend the custodial centres against internal and external aggression.”
He noted the attack on the custodial centre in Owerri, the Imo State capital, saying that was the worst of its kind.
The minister also recalled the coordinated attacks on custodial centres in Edo State and an unsuccessful attempt was made in Lagos in 2020.
