Controller General Issues Urgent Security Directive for Correctional Facilities

The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, has issued a strict order to all Zonal Coordinators, State Command Controllers, and heads of training institutions to ensure the security of all correctional facilities, or face serious repercussions. 

This directive was announced during an emergency virtual strategy meeting held on Tuesday, aimed at evaluating and enhancing the security of correctional facilities nationwide in anticipation of upcoming festivities.

Nwakuche, in a statement by the NCoS spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, emphasized the necessity of proactive measures to thwart potential breaches, cautioning against complacency.

“This goes beyond just concrete walls and iron bars; it’s about trust, responsibility, and the safety of every Nigerian,” he stated during the meeting.

The session also allowed senior officers to voice their concerns, present progress updates, and receive feedback. While the CGC recognized positive efforts, he insisted on the need for increased innovation, vigilance, and accountability at all levels.

Key decisions made during the meeting included: conducting immediate audits of all correctional facilities to identify vulnerabilities; activating proactive measures to strengthen high-risk facilities; directing commanding officers to identify and eliminate weak links within the custodial system; enhancing surveillance checks; and reiterating the zero-tolerance policy for negligence, collusion, or failure to perform duties, with offenders facing severe penalties.

Nwakuche highlighted the importance of internal accountability, warning that staff involved in security breaches would encounter serious disciplinary action.

The meeting concluded with a call for unity, discipline, and improved collaboration among correctional personnel, as well as strengthened cooperation with other security agencies and the general public.

Last month, heavy rainfall caused seven inmates to escape from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, Osun State, after the facility’s aging perimeter wall collapsed. 

This incident in Osun is the latest in a series of prison escapes attributed to structural failures within Nigeria’s correctional facilities. 

In recent years, similar incidents, including the collapse of prison walls in Maiduguri and Suleja in 2024, have resulted in the escape of hundreds of inmates.