The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have taken steps to deepen their collaboration aimed at preventing external attacks on custodial centres and forestalling jailbreaks in the country.
To this end, custodial centres across the country will witness the presence of more NSCDC personnel, as the Commandant General of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Audi, has approved that State Commanders deploy additional personnel to custodial centres in their respective states.
Audi, who recalled the killing of NSCDC personnel at Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja a few years ago during midnight attacks by terrorists, noted that the dynamics of maintaining peace and security around custodial centres have changed, given that Nigeria now faces an asymmetric war.
He described the death of the NSCDC officer as painful, stating that the officer was always fearless, bold, and committed to his call of duty.
The NSCDC boss spoke when he granted an audience to the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, at the headquarters of the Corps in Abuja.
The NSCDC boss remarked that collaboration, understanding, and commitment are the keys to keeping the nation’s custodial centres safe, asserting that no single paramilitary institution can operate alone without synergy with others.
He praised Acting CG Sylvester Nwakuche for visiting him to strategise on additional security measures to be adopted to ensure the safety of inmates in custodial centres, expressing that he is more comfortable working with CG Nwakuche as a coursemate from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos.
The Acting Comptroller General of the NCoS stated that the visit became necessary considering their shared experiences in the professional and academic fields, asserting that he would require guidance from the NSCDC boss to navigate the complex demands of ensuring the safety and security of Nigerian prison inmates.
Nwakuche expressed regret over the loss of NSCDC personnel at the Kuje Custodial Centre during a midnight attack some years ago, noting that the sacrifice made by the officer will never be in vain.
He acknowledged the ongoing protection of custodial facilities in the country by NSCDC operatives as a morale booster, praying that such sacrifices should be sustained and improved upon through synergy.
He commended the administration of the NSCDC under the leadership of Dr Audi, noting that NSCDC’s fortunes within the nation’s security architecture have turned around with visible and remarkable achievements.
Nwakuche stated that upon his appointment as Acting Controller-General of Corrections by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 15th December 2024, he decided to visit the NSCDC and other institutions to align his programmes with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration and to seek support from sister security agencies in the country.
