Following disturbing trend of incessant attacks on correctional homes across Nigeria, the Federal Government has ordered that vulnerability audit should be carried out on all the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) facilities across the country.
It explained that the move ascertain the level of defense against invaders in all correctional homes had become imperative following spate of attacks on prison facilities in the country such that would allow necessary protective measures to be taken.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said that the report would help the service to identify the cracks in the security setup of the correctional facilities and bridge it with appropriate intervention to prevent another attack.
Through a statement on Friday by his media aide, Sola Fasure, the minister said that the vulnerability audit would help in identifying the weakness in our security setup, adding that it would help to put in place an effective structure to assist in better securing facilities against future external aggression.
“In the past, the challenges to the facilities were usually internal insurrections which our system had been primed to deal with. We are determined to eliminate the threat from these attackers and ensure that our facilities are no longer vulnerable.”
According to him, anyone who breaches the correctional facilities must live to regret such actions noting that such persons were toiling with Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“The NCoS stands at the heart and end of the administration of the Criminal Justice System. It is a critical and essential element in keeping those the court thinks must be kept away from our society. You must do all in your power to defend it.
“The custodial centres represent Nigeria’s sovereignty, it’s a sacred institution that signifies her authority. Anyone who aims to breach them is simply testing the might and will of the Nigerian state and must not live to regret such actions,” the Minister added.
Meanwhile, the apex government was coming barely a week after gunmen attacked Abolongo correctional centre in Oyo State and killed two security personnel. At least 446 inmates who fled after gunmen attacked the centre were confirmed to have been voluntarily returned and rearrested by the joint security agencies deployed by the Federal and State Governments.
Also, as part of measures to prevent attacks on correctional centres, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, ordered the immediate installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at the Abolongo Correctional Centre and other custodial homes across the state.
