The Nigerian government has demonstrated its authority to repel threats of attacks made by terrorists on custodial facilities which is part of the insecurity woes facing the country. As disclosed by Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in President Muhammadu Buhari’s words, a new shoot-on-sight policy has been re-issued to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) against invaders. This is done to protect the physical effort, monetary wise, and objective of the criminal justice administration from going in vain if inmates are permitted to escape.
Government called on the necessary agency to scrutinize officers that will be posted to custodial facilities in order to avoid dastardly and faint-hearted officers who will find it hard to carry out the reissued order of shoot on sight. Moreover, the government has also commissioned a Command and Control Room for real-time monitoring of specific custodial facilities across the country. Aregbesola asserts that to ascertain adequate security surveillance and ensure inmates fully enjoy their entitled rights, the operation and activities of these custodial facilities will now be monitored in real-time from the Service’s headquarters situated in Abuja (FCT).
Custodial facilities across the country are red zones for invaders.
Aregbesola claims that with these new policies in place, prison uprisings and escape attempts would be rendered futile, leaving little hope for the incarcerated. He reiterated that custodial facilities across the country are “red zones” and should be impenetrable to invaders, a message that began at the finish line of criminal justice administration. The minister emphasized the need for energetic security officers at the detention centers, and the need to counter any assault with equal zeal.
He goes on to state that any cop who is faint-hearted, cannot shoot to kill, and cannot target the head of a criminal should be educated properly, with the exception of the female division. Custodians make up fewer than 3% of the prisoner population (out of more than 70,000 total), and they pose no danger to us. Aregbesola also warned prominent figures not to seek his assistance in freeing prisoners, saying he lacks the authority to do so. He explains that it is out of the jurisdiction of a custodian to detain or release any person.
NCoS Act Act 2019, commemorates a fundamental change.
While disclosing the new policy at an organized event, the minister also unveils a new service uniform and logo for the Nigerian Correctional Service. Also at the event, he acknowledged and awarded 25 security officers of the Kagara custodial facility in Niger state, where the officers fended off an invasion by bandits. Furtherly, he commissioned the construction of a squadron’s worth of quarters for subordinate officers as well as the acquisition of 40 vehicles for use in combat.
Additionally, Controller General of Corrections (CGC) Haliru Nababa asserts that the NCoS Act 2019, which was passed into law in recent years to embody new additional resolution and enhanced prison administration, commemorates a fundamental change in the Service, transforming it into a more compassionate and acceptable system. Nababa shared the same sentiment, stating that the most important thing right now is to work toward achieving the system’s goals by fostering an environment that is conducive to achieving those goals.
The new uniforms signifies rejuvenated vitality and commitment.
He ascribed the actions of the ceremony organized, where the minister unveiled new Service Uniforms as part of attempts to fit with the Service’s revamped attitude. According to Nababa, the introduction of the new uniforms is significant as it signifies rejuvenated vitality and commitment to give value to the Service. Officers play a crucial part in making sure the lofty provisions of the NCoS Act, 2019 are realized, thus it’s important that they embody the new narrative in terms of their attitude and look.
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