The Controller General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa, has met with Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) authorities on strengthening security at the custodial facilities across the country.
The meeting, which was held in Abuja, last Friday, has led to the inauguration of a Joint Task Force comprising the NCoS, NIS and the NSCDC.
According to a statement, yesterday by the NCoS spokesman, Francis Enobore, the task force was expected to join the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force that were already deployed to support the NCoS armed squad in guarding custodial centres.
The security partnership is coming against the backdrop of the series of armed attacks on the correctional facilities across the country and the escape of hundreds of inmates.
In the statement titled, ‘NCoS boss in talks with NSCDC and NIS on custodial security,’ Enobore explained that the meeting also centred on strengthening intelligence gathering and sharing of same among security operatives to nip attacks in the bud.
It stated, “The synergy will also include the immediate inauguration of a Joint Task Force of armed personnel comprising the three-arm bearing agencies under the Ministry of Interior.
“The task force is expected to combine with the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force that are already deployed to support corrections armed squad in guarding custodial centres.”
The statement said the NSCDC Commandant-General, Abubakar Audi, lauded the initiative, and promised to task all state commandants of his service to gear up for the onerous task of protecting custodial centres that are now designated as critical national infrastructure being the last agency in the actualisation of criminal justice dispensation.
He also called for regular meetings and more investment in intelligence gathering that could help forestall an armed invasion of facilities and other criminal activities in the future.
The acting Comptroller-General of Immigration, Idris Jere, in his contribution noted that the NIS would activate the data of escapees in all the entry and exit points that were manned by his personnel in other to strengthen the recapture process already initiated.
He commended the CGC for vigorously pursuing the deployment of technology which he noted would replace the current operational system, and among other things, make escapes/jail attacks difficult.
He further stressed the importance of organising a common front to challenge the misguided activities of armed criminals, and expressed the confidence that they would conquer soon.
Meanwhile, Nababa has visited the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Aliyu Abubakar, to finalise the process of red-flagging fleeing inmates through the harmonisation and sharing of inmates data already captured by NIMC in online transactions.