The Federal government has promised to build the capacity of managers of correctional service facilities across the country to henceforth repel attacks.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who was the reviewing officer at the Passing-Out-Parade of 102 Asistant Superintendents of Correction in Kaduna state, says more weapons will be made available to men of the service.
The Minister of Interior, who is the reviewing officer, inspects passing out cadets of the correctional service college on parade
After 6 months of training, 102 of them are now qualified to be commissioned into the officer cadre of the Service.
The Nigerian correctional service provides custodial and non-custodian services to promote public protection.
Despite being declared a red zone in April 2021, it’s facilities have been repeatedly attacked and inmates freed – the latest being the Kuje incident in Abuja.
The minister announces that going forward, there will be an increase in the weapons and armament available to correctional facility managers.
This is in addition to capacity building training in weapon handling to repel such attacks.
He has also charges correctional service personnel to ensure that no innate is abused nor made to suffer non-statutory punishment in custody.
The passing out cadets are urged to be diligent, patriotic and disciplined in the discharge of their duties.
The nations Custodial Centres part of the main duties of the Nigerian Correctional Service have come under incessant attacks in the last few years with attacks on the Abolongo Custodial Centre in Oyo State earlier in the year and the latest at the Kuje Custodial Centre where many high profile inmates were released by the invaders.
Almost a thousand inmates were freed from the Kuje attack and similar attacks in Other parts of the Country including in Imo State.
Pressuer has since been mounted by stakeholders who have called for a fortification of the Custodial Centres and enhancing the capacity of those in charge of Securing them.
