The Nigerian Federal Government says its shoot-on-sight order earlier given to the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS against invaders still subsists, saying that any person who attacks the country's custodial centers should be neutralized.
Speaking on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari during the unveiling of new service uniforms and logo for the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCOs, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola said; “As far as I am concerned, whoever attempts to attack our facilities, whoever dares should not live to tell the story. That is how best I can say it.
“Whoever attacks our custodial facility should be made to return to his maker.
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Image:THISDAY
“I have said it before and I will say it again that all our facilities are red zones. Rifles are for criminals, not for hunting antelopes. You don’t need any orders. Don’t wait for any order. Anybody that comes to attack our custodial facilities which are the end or finishing line of the administration of criminal justice, take them out. Our facilities should be inviolable and any intruder must be made to pay a huge price.
“Inmates now know that they cannot escape by themselves. They have criminals outside who want to help them to escape.
The Minister also warned that officers who are afraid to shoot to kill criminals should either be dismissed, retrained, or reassigned.
“Any officer that is too lily-livered, that cannot shoot to kill, that cannot aim the head of a criminal, should be trained correctly. Train them to shoot the head of invaders, not legs. Whoever is not bold enough to shoot to kill, don’t take them to custodial centers, except maybe the female section.
"Out of the over 70,000 inmates, we have less than 3000 and they don’t constitute any threat to us. So, those who are afraid to shoot, if you don’t want to dismiss them, let them be in the female prisons. But those who are going to be in the maximum and minimum custodial centers must be very rough people. It is a serious matter. We have had enough of the embarrassment. We must go out and end it.
Aregbesola noted that if inmates of custodial centers are allowed to escape, funds spent on arrests, investigations, trials, and prosecution would have been wasted and the goal of the criminal justice administration defeated.
Image:Vanguard
“Every naira being spent on the administration of criminal justice would amount to waste if we cannot keep our end. Besides the embarrassment, it would amount to wasting trillions”, he added.
As part of measures to end incessant jail breaks and riots, the minister said some selected correctional centers would henceforth be under strict surveillance to monitor the activities of inmates via a command and control situation room.
“Effective surveillance mounted in selected centers while monitored at the command and control situation room at the headquarters. Inmates can be monitored without any violation of their rights. With this, jailbreaks and riots can be avoided or nipped in the bud”.
Aregbesola also advised highly placed individuals to stop asking for his help to facilitate the release of inmates as he has no such powers.
“I cannot order the release of anyone. Some people call me and say I should help them release some inmates. I cannot do that. We’re not custodians. We cannot take people into custody and we cannot also release those in custody except we have the authority of those who sent them to us”, he stated.
Politics and Opinion
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