Maintain watertight security nationwide, NCoS boss tasks officers

Ahead of the Sallah celebration, the Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, has charged Zonal Coordinators, State Command Controllers, and other senior officers of the Service to maintain watertight security around all the Custodial Centres across the country.

In a move to confront growing concerns, the CGC on Tuesday summoned all Zonal Coordinators, Commandants of Training Colleges, Schools, and State Command Controllers to an emergency virtual strategy session.

Deputy Controller of Corrections and Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, in a statement, explained that the meeting, was convened to outline security ahead of the festivities and activate proactive measures to mitigate security breaches to facilities across the country in view of the heavy rains.

According to the statement, Nwakuche, while addressing the senior officers issued a stern directive, “secure custodial facilities or face the consequences”.

“This is not just about concrete walls and iron bars—it’s about trust, duty, and the safety of every Nigerian. The time for complacency is over,” he warned.

During the session, the CGC also listened to concerns from the Senior Officers, applauded some, admonished where necessary, and tasked them with innovative solutions.

Key Decisions from the virtual meeting include immediate audits of all correctional facilities to assess vulnerabilities, activation of proactive measures to bolster high-risk facilities.

The Commanding officers were also directed to identify and remove weak links within the custodial chain.

The officers were tasked to beef up surveillance checks while commanding officers were reminded of the zero-tolerance policy and that officers found guilty of negligence, collusion, or dereliction of duty would face stiff penalties.

Umar Abubakar noted that the Controller General did not mince words about internal accountability, promising swift action against any personnel in the event of security breaches.

“The meeting closed with a renewed call for unity, discipline, and vigilance among correctional staff, as well as deepening of interagency collaboration with sister security agencies and the public,” he stated.