Interior Ministry targets holistic reform of correctional service
Reform
By Ibironke Ariyo
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, has reiterated the commitment of the ministry to achieving a holistic reform of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Ajani stated this during the second public hearing of the independent Investigative panel to address the alleged corruption, abuse of power, torture, cruel, inhumane, degrading treatment against NCoS on Tuesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of Interior, Dr.Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had in Sept. 2024 inaugurated the panel to probe allegations of corruption and gross abuse of office levelled against some personnel of the NCoS.
NAN reports that Tunji-Ojo who is also the Chairman of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), suspended several officers overseeing the Maximum and Minimum Custodial Centres in Kirikiri, Lagos State.
This followed allegations of misconduct involving the handling of cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.
Ajani, who doubled as the Chairman of the investigative panel said that one of the ultimate goals of the committee was to ensure that the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 was fully implemented.
She added that both custodial and non-custodial measures should be clearly implemented across the country.
“This is an investigative committee that has to deal with torture and what is going on in our correctional service.
“The committee’s objective is to identify the challenges facing the correctional service and to proffer solutions that will lead to a holistic reform of the service.
“We want to ensure that the correctional service is transformed into a modern, efficient, and humane institution that meets international standards.
“The committee has been listening to contributions from stakeholders, including the correctional service, and has identified challenges in implementing the act.
“This is particularly with regards to magistrates and judges who claim that some sections of the act are unknown to them,” she said.
Ajani expressed hope that by the end of the public hearing, the committee would have been able to discuss the observations and challenges raised by the correctional service and identify ways to address them.
In his presentation, the NCoS Controller General, Sylvester Nwakuche appealed to the judiciary to better understand the provisions of the NCoS Act 2019, which had been a challenge for the service in implementing correctional decisions.
Nwakuche, who was represented by Ibrahim Idris, an Assistant Controller General (ACG), said that the NCoS had been facing difficulties in implementing the Act due to a lack of understanding from the judiciary.
According to him, the NCoS had been working diligently to implement the provisions of the Act, but the lack of understanding from the judiciary has been a major challenge.
“We are appealing to the judiciary to help us understand the spirit of the law.
“It is extremely difficult for correctional officers to disobey court orders, but sometimes the courts don’t understand the provisions of the Act,”he said.
“We are not asking for too much. We just want the judiciary to understand the provisions of the Act and work with us to implement correctional decisions,” he said.(NAN)
Edited by Yakubu Uba
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