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Tag: Inmates

  • We Spends N1m On Each Inmate Annually – FG

    We Spends N1m On Each Inmate Annually – FG

    The Federal Government says it spends N1 million annually to cater for each of the inmates at the correctional facilities in the country.

    Sola Fasure, the Media Adviser to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

    According to the statement, the minister said this while inaugurating a 20-bed COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund Hospital and Equipment at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Port Harcourt.

    The minister said that the project would be an enduring legacy and a testimony of the utmost importance the Federal Government had so far taken corrections, the welfare of inmates as well as the staff.

    Aregbesola added that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had, to a large extent, addressed the problem of inmates contracting diseases in custodial centres.

    “The custodial centres were frighteningly centres for contracting diseases like scabies and tuberculosis, among others.

    “Happily, this has been addressed by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and is now a thing of the past.

    “We not only have well-manned clinics and well-stocked pharmacies, the inmates at the custodial centres now have access to excellent medical care beyond the centres,” he said.

    The minister also decried the enormous challenges of running correctional services with huge demands for infrastructure, equipment and maintaining the welfare of inmates.

    He, however, assured that the Federal Government had provided a long-term solution to the challenges.

    “This centre in Port Harcourt, with a capacity for 1,800 inmates, presently houses about 3,067 inmates. This is just a reflection of the situation in most urban custodial centres where we have congestion at the moment.

    “The facilities and even the personnel are overstretched, but we are coping and providing long-term solutions to this challenge.

    “One of such solutions is the construction of mega 3,000-capacity custodial villages in six geo-political zones of the country. The one for the South-South is in Bori, not far from here in Rivers.

    “The ones for the North-West in Janguza, Kano and the North-Central, in Karshi, Abuja, are ready. Hopefully, we shall inaugurate the one in Kano in a few days, before our departure.

    “Even work is steadily going on in the others and has reached appreciable level.

    “Let me also reiterate that the Federal Government will stop feeding inmates incarcerated for breaching state laws. As you commence your budget process for next year, include feeding of your inmates,” he said..

    Aregbesola said that he had no doubt that the facility would go a long way in addressing the medical concerns of inmates and correctional service personnel.

    The minister commended the management and staff of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) for working hard to keep the virus away.

    He added that the new hospital was an intervention aimed at making robust healthcare for those in custody and the NCoS staff.

    Aregbesola said that the beauty of all the interventions in consonance with other reforms in the NCoS would obviously translate to security, peace and tranquillity in and around the centres and ultimately the entire country.

  • FG To Spend N22.44bn On Feeding Inmates

    FG To Spend N22.44bn On Feeding Inmates

    The Federal Government on Thursday revealed that Nigeria will spend N22.4 billion feeding inmates in correctional centres nationwide.

    This is according to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, who disclosed this at a two-day High Conference on Decongestion and Corrections Management in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    Belgore stated that the fund is budgeted for in the 2023 Appropriation Act.

    He said that there has been a steady rise in the population of the custodial centres with at least 80% of the inmates awaiting trial.

    According to him, there are 244 custodial centres nationwide, with a 75,507-inmate population, thereby leading to 82 of them being overcrowded.

    The total number of male inmates is 73,821 and female 1,686 female inmates, he noted.

    Out of the 75,507 inmates, 52,436 are awaiting trial while 23,071 are convicted persons, with 3,322 as condemned inmates on death row.

  • Over 600 Inmates Escape from Kuje prison

    Over 600 Inmates Escape from Kuje prison

    The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, has said over 600 of the inmates fled the prisons when it came under attack late Tuesday night.

    Belgore stated that those behind the attack were Boko Haram terrorists who came specifically for their members held in the custody.

    He, however, said about 300 had been recaptured, while 300 were still at large.

    Speaking while addressing journalists, he also said an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps was killed during the attack.

    He said, “There have been several attacks on our facilities most of them are being repelled, but every now and then, there is one that they have succeeded. In this is one they came very determined with high explosives.

    “The initial entry attempt was unsuccessful, then they attacked another section of the wall with higher grade explosives which brought the wall down.

    “The forces on the ground did everything they could to repel them but the number they came with was high which they were not able to defend against. They kept on fighting gallantly unfortunately the breach happened. Reinforcement came when they were halfway through it. They were eventually repelled.

    “At the time they came in they killed one NSCDC operative while trying to save the situation. The inmates here are 994.

    “We understand they are Boko Haram terrorists and came specifically came for their conspirators. Many of them have returned, some were retrieved from the bushes they were hiding, right now we have retrieved about 300 out of about 600 that got out of the jail.”

  • Gov Ganduje pardons 90 inmates in Kano

    Gov Ganduje pardons 90 inmates in Kano

    As a good will gesture to celebrate Eid- El- Fitri, the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje pardons 90 inmates across Kano correctional centres on Monday.

    The Spokesman to the Governor, Abba Anwar in a statement said the freed inmates will be be registered for skill acquisition programmes.

    Ganduje having visited the Goron dutse Facility, said more inmates will be pardoned during the Eid-Kabir celebration.

    The Governor added that the pardon is not only to decongest the Correctional centres, but to give them another chance to be of good character.

  • Six in custody as police discover illegal rehabilitation centre with 113 inmates in Kano

    Six in custody as police discover illegal rehabilitation centre with 113 inmates in Kano

    The Kano Police Command has discovered an illegal rehabilitation centre with 113 inmates in the Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

    The inmates were discovered to have been confined and locked up in a room and some with various degrees of injuries resulting from torture.

    This is contained in a statement by the Command Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna, on Tuesday.

    The statement said the inmates were rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital in Kano for treatment and handed over to the State Government

    The statement read in part, “On the 30/01/2022 at about 1100hrs, a report was received from 10 escaped inmates of an illegal rehabilitation centre, that one Musa Safiyanu, ‘m’, 55 years old, of Naibawa ‘Yan Lemo Quarters, Kumbotso LGA, Kano State is running an illegal rehabilitation centre with chained, tortured and locked inmates, from where they escaped.

    “And that, one of the inmates named Aminu Ado, ‘m’, 22 years old, of Na’ibawa Quarters Kano was tortured to death on the 29/01/2022 by Abdullatif Musa, ‘m’, 18 years old, of Na’ibawa Wailari Quarters Kumbotso LGA, Kano State.’’

    ‘’On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, immediately raised and instructed a team of detectives, led by CSP Abdulkarim Abdullahi, to mount 24 hours surveillance, verify the report, rescue the victims and arrest the culprits.’’
    The statement said the team immediately swung into action and the report was found to be true.

    “On 31/01/2022, the scene was visited and 113 inmates were discovered confined and locked up in a room. Some with various degrees of injuries resulting from torture.

    “They were rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano for treatment and handed over to the Kano State Government.

    “Six suspects; Musa Safiyanu, Abdullatif Musa, Usman Abdulrauf Imam, Mustapha Bala, Sadiq Ismail and Umar Bako Abdulwahab, were arrested.

    ”On preliminary investigation, the suspects confessed to have been operating the centre for over 10 years despite the initial ban by the Kano State Government.

    ”The Commissioner of Police has ordered for discreet investigation. Suspects will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation,” the statement said.

  • Jail Break: Over 3000 Inmates Still on the Run – Aregbesola

    Jail Break: Over 3000 Inmates Still on the Run – Aregbesola

    The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, says there are over 3000 inmates still at large following jailbreaks in Nigeria within the last year.

    Speaking at a media briefing organized by the Presidential Media Team at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, Aregbesola further disclosed that 4,369 inmates escaped from various custodial centers from 2020 till date, and out of this, 984 have been recaptured.

    This leaves the country with about 3,385 inmates out of custody.

    According to Aregbesola, biometrics of all inmates in the country have been captured, and it is the hope of the Federal Government that this exercise will aid the tracking and rearrest of the escapees.

    The former governor of Osun State stressed that the recent attacks on some correctional facilities in the country are a reflection of the insecurity in Nigeria.

    He explained that the government is on the trail of some of the attackers with a couple of them arrested in Imo State. The minister assured Nigerians that a ministerial task force will soon be inaugurated to enforce the re-arrest of all escapees and their collaborators.

    Aregbesola’s comments come a few weeks after gunmen attacked the Medium Security Custodial Centre in the Abolongo area of Oyo State with an unconfirmed number of inmates escaping from the facility.

    A few hours after the siege, the Federal Government said operatives had recaptured some of the inmates.

    The Interior Minister in his reaction to the incident assured Nigerians that “the Federal Government will pursue not just those who attacked our facility, but those who have escaped lawful custody”.

  • Oyo jailbreak: Nigerian Correctional Service releases names and photos of Fleeing Inmates

    Oyo jailbreak: Nigerian Correctional Service releases names and photos of Fleeing Inmates

    The Nigerian Correctional Service on Wednesday October 27, released some names and images of 122 inmates who escaped from the Abolongo Custodial Centre in Oyo State.

    The inmates escaped after unidentified gunmen attacked the correctional centre at about 10pm on Friday, October 22.

    Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola had on Sunday said 446 out of 907 escapees in the Abologo correctional facility in Oyo State have been recaptured by security agencies.

    “As at the last count, 446 of the escapees have been recaptured, leaving 392 still at large. We want to assure Nigerians that the service has an updated database of the escapees which includes their biometrics. We are sharing the database with all security agencies in the country including Interpol, so those who escape our recapture efforts can be nabbed,” the Minister stated.

    “To those on the run, be assured you have nowhere to hide. You can run, but you can’t hide. We’ll fish you out! We are publishing details of those who escaped in the mass media so the public can assist in that effort.” he added.

  • BREAKING: Gunmen Attack Oyo Correctional Centre, Free Inmates

    BREAKING: Gunmen Attack Oyo Correctional Centre, Free Inmates

    Gunmen attacked the correctional facility in Abolongo, Oyo town on Friday night, freeing several inmates.

    A source at the facility revealed that the gunmen arrived at the centre around 10pm, using hand grenades to gain access into the prison. She said warders were caught unawares and could not stop the attackers.

    Lanre Anjorin, the public relations officer of the correctional centre, confirmed the attack. He said the authorities were still assessing the situation to ascertain the number of prisoners that escaped and damage done to the building.

    “The report is true. The correctional centre in Abolongo, Oyo town was attacked. Right now, the controller is there with other senior officers. They are assessing the situation, looking at the damage done to the facility. Detailed report will be made known later,” he said.

  • Eid-El-Kabir: Gov Ganduje releases 136 inmates from Correctional Centres in Kano

    Eid-El-Kabir: Gov Ganduje releases 136 inmates from Correctional Centres in Kano

    In the spirit of Eid-Kabir celebration, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has released 136 inmates from Kano Correctional Centres.

    He also provided to them N5000 each as transport fires back to their homes.

    While effecting their release from detentions, Governor Ganduje, urged them to be people of sound character when they are finally being integrated into the society.

    “In your position as Nigerians who deserve to be taken care of, we are here today, Sallah Day, to celebrate with you this great Sallah period, by way of releasing some of you who are pardoned,” he said.

    He made the statement when he visited Gorondutse Medium Correctional Centre as part of his Sallah visits during Sallah period, Tuesday.

    “We are here to also see how you are feeling and to share our joyous moment with you. We want those of you who repented to promise not to go back to their previous nefarious acts,” he warned.

    Explaining what led to their release, Governor Ganduje said “Some of you are released because of ill-health, some stayed longer than necessary and some were incarcerated because they were not able to pay charges placed on them.”

    He added that the pardoning exercise was in compliance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to decongest Correctional Centres across the country.

    He further added that, “…we are therefore following this directive, particularly because of COVID-19 pandemic, as directed by Mr President.”

    In his remarks, the Controller of Kano Correctional Centres, Sulaiman T. Sulaiman commended the governor for being humane while relating with inmates of such Centres in the state.

    “I worked for 30 years in this job. As I worked in many states of the federation, I have never seen a governor of a state who cares very much about the plight of inmates from our Correctional Centres,” he said.

    According to him, “His Excellency Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State was here during the Eid-Fitr period, just in the last 70 days, and he released some inmates. Here we are, this hardworking governor is also releasing another set of inmates. They are 136.”

    Sulaiman appreciated governor Ganduje’s magnanimous intervention, to make Sallah celebration most joyful among the inmates, when he provided the Correctional Centres with cattle and rams for the inmates.

    After releasing them, each of the inmates was given the sum of Five Thousand Naira to use as transport money, back to their various destinations.

  • 37 inmates of Abeokuta custodial centre bags varsity admission

    37 inmates of Abeokuta custodial centre bags varsity admission

    The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) on Friday said 37 of its inmates were admitted and matriculated into the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
    A statement by the Public Relations Officer of NCoS, Mr Francis Enobore on Friday in Abuja, said this was the second matriculation ceremony at the Custodial Centre, under the auspices of NOUN.

    It stated that the inmates were admitted to study various courses as Business Administration, Political Science, Criminology and Security Studies, Journalism, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Accounting, Economics, Christian Religious Studies and Economics Education.

    “The Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, represented by Dr Segun Adenuga, the Director of Ogun Study centre, took the enrollee through the orientation programme.

    “The programme exposed their minds to what is expected of them as students of National Open University of Nigeria,” he said.

    The statement quoted the Controller of Corrections, Ogun Command, Mojeed Olaniran, as congratulating the inmates and implored them to make good use of the opportunity.

    He urged them to bear in mind that aside from security, the cardinal objectives of correction were reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration.

    The controller re-emphasised that NCoS encouraged the inmates to upgrade themselves in various aspects of skill acquisition that would benefit their lives and society at large.

    He admonished them to make good use of this second chance to remediate their wrong past and appreciated the good gesture of NOUN’s authority for providing free education to the inmates.

    Responding, Peters affirmed that the University was poised to bring education to the door step of all and sundry, which included those in the correctional centres.

    Peters further reassured the matriculating students that the authority was prepared to give them scholarship up to PhD level.

    He advised them to make maximum use of their study materials and not to be derailed by their present conditions, urging them to rather use the opportunity to gain academic laurels.

    Our correspondents gathered that the second matriculation of inmates of the custodial centre into NOUN was also witnessed by the Director of Mass Literary, Ogun State, Alhaji Mikail Lawal.

    The ceremony has brought the number of inmates of Ibara custodial centre undertaking various degree programmes at the NOUN to 87, including two Masters Degree Students.