Insecurity: Aregbesola Warns On Influx Of Inmates Into Custodial Centres

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Monday warned
of the influx of more inmates into the Nigeria custodial centres as
a result of increased insecurity and criminality across the
country.

Aregbesola said this development should prompt the leadership of
the nation’s Correctional facilities not only to be proactive and
vigilant, but alive to their responsibilities to defend the
country’s integrity at all cost.

The Minister sounded the warnings during the decoration of
Haliru Nababa as the Controller General of the Nigerian
Correctional Service at the Conference Hall, Minister’s Office,
Abuja.

He said the choice of Nababa came from a “rigorous meritocratic
selection” after 31 years in Service, describing him as a gallant
and patriotic officer.

Aregbesola said: “Interestingly, he is mounting the saddle at a
time of unusual security challenges.

“These are manifested in the insurgency in the North East,
banditry in the North West and parts of North Central, kidnappings
in virtually all parts of the country, financial crimes and ritual
killings in the South West, militancy that is assuming an
insurrectional dimension in the South East and South-South and
sundry other criminal activities in all parts of the country.

“The implication of this is that the custodial facilities will
be bursting at the seams with the influx of inmates awaiting trials
or convicts serving terms and awaiting execution.

“This poses a special challenge in that some of the inmates
belong to organisations that will deem themselves to be fighting an
ethno-religious and political causes.

“Therefore, their members outside will be planning to break into
the facilities to free their members.

There are also sophisticated criminal organisations whose
members are either serving terms or awaiting trials and are now
using the security situation in the country as an opportunity to
attack our custodial centres and obtain their freedom.

“Whatever may be the motive, custodial centres have been under
consistent attacks in a brazen challenge to the authority of the
Nigerian state.”

The Minister also enjoined Correctional Service officers to use
the presence of inmates in the custodial centres to garner
intelligence reports for use by security agencies to address the
security situation in the country.

He said the Service should maintain zero tolerance for bad eggs
amongst its ranks and files, while the dignity of inmates should be
sacrosanct and respected.

The Minister further said: “It is necessary to bolster
discipline and professional integrity among the rank and file. An
organisation is as strong and effective as the level of discipline
within it.

“There are a few bad eggs that smuggle prohibited items to
inmates, assist them in running criminal operations while in
custody, take them out to unapproved places and locations and
wittingly or unwittingly facilitate jailbreak for them.

“They should be fished out. Their nefarious activities endanger
the nation, other staff and inmates. There should be no place for
them. There should be zero tolerance for them in the service.”

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Monday warned
of the influx of more inmates into the Nigeria custodial centres as
a result of increased insecurity and criminality across the
country.

Aregbesola said this development should prompt the leadership of
the nation’s Correctional facilities not only to be proactive and
vigilant, but alive to their responsibilities to defend the
country’s integrity at all cost.

The Minister sounded the warnings during the decoration of
Haliru Nababa as the Controller General of the Nigerian
Correctional Service at the Conference Hall, Minister’s Office,
Abuja.

He said the choice of Nababa came from a “rigorous meritocratic
selection” after 31 years in Service, describing him as a gallant
and patriotic officer.

Aregbesola said: “Interestingly, he is mounting the saddle at a
time of unusual security challenges.

“These are manifested in the insurgency in the North East,
banditry in the North West and parts of North Central, kidnappings
in virtually all parts of the country, financial crimes and ritual
killings in the South West, militancy that is assuming an
insurrectional dimension in the South East and South-South and
sundry other criminal activities in all parts of the country.

“The implication of this is that the custodial facilities will
be bursting at the seams with the influx of inmates awaiting trials
or convicts serving terms and awaiting execution.

“This poses a special challenge in that some of the inmates
belong to organisations that will deem themselves to be fighting an
ethno-religious and political causes.

“Therefore, their members outside will be planning to break into
the facilities to free their members.

There are also sophisticated criminal organisations whose
members are either serving terms or awaiting trials and are now
using the security situation in the country as an opportunity to
attack our custodial centres and obtain their freedom.

“Whatever may be the motive, custodial centres have been under
consistent attacks in a brazen challenge to the authority of the
Nigerian state.”

The Minister also enjoined Correctional Service officers to use
the presence of inmates in the custodial centres to garner
intelligence reports for use by security agencies to address the
security situation in the country.

He said the Service should maintain zero tolerance for bad eggs
amongst its ranks and files, while the dignity of inmates should be
sacrosanct and respected.

The Minister further said: “It is necessary to bolster
discipline and professional integrity among the rank and file. An
organisation is as strong and effective as the level of discipline
within it.

“There are a few bad eggs that smuggle prohibited items to
inmates, assist them in running criminal operations while in
custody, take them out to unapproved places and locations and
wittingly or unwittingly facilitate jailbreak for them.

“They should be fished out. Their nefarious activities endanger
the nation, other staff and inmates. There should be no place for
them. There should be zero tolerance for them in the service.”