News
Updated: May 10, 2021

Prisons: Will Appointment Of New Boss, Nababa, Tackle Rot In The System?

By Zaccheus Ukhueleigbe
May 10, 2021
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Few years after reports emerged about the massive corruption in Nigeria’s criminal justice system, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration today decorated a new Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Haliru Nababa, mni.

AllNews Nigeria recalls that under the administration of Ja'afaru Ahmed, the former NCoS boss, popular Nigerian investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo exposed the high level of corruption amongst prison warders and the terrifying condition of the Nigerian Prison.

In a three-part series published on TheCable, Fisayo highlighted how he came up with a deceptive appearance and revealed the rot in the Nigerian prison system. He spent two weeks in detention five days in a police cell and eight as an inmate in Ikoyi Prison, beginning from the moment of arrest by the police to the point of release.

On Monday, May 10th, 2021, the Ministry of Interior, headed by Rauf Aregbesola officially decorated the prison boss, Haliru Nababa charging him to keep in focus the core mandate of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Aregbesola said, " Today, I decorated the new Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Haliru Nababa, mni. In my speech titled, Grow Your Feet In A Big Shoe, I described how the CG emerged from a rigorous meritocratic selection process devoid of interference from any quarters.

Today, I decorated the new Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Haliru Nababa, mni. In my speech titled, Grow Your Feet In A Big Shoe, I described how the CG emerged from a rigorous meritocratic selection process devoid of interference from any quarters. pic.twitter.com/4DoWHpoffm
— Rauf Aregbesola (@raufaregbesola) May 10, 2021

"Mr Nababa is a gallant officer and a patriot. He has diligently served the country through the Nigerian Correctional Service for the past 31 years. His elevation is therefore well earned.

Will Appointment Of New Prison Boss, Nababa, Trim Corruption In Nigeria’s Criminal Justice System?

"He is mounting the saddle at a time of unusual security challenges. These are manifested in an insurgency in the North East, banditry in the North West & parts of North Central, kidnappings in virtually all parts of the country, financial crimes and ritual killings in the South West militancy that is assuming an insurrectional dimension in the South East and South-South and sundry other criminal activities in all parts of the country.

"I charged him to keep in focus the core mandate of correction. The inmates must be kept healthy and safe from harm and from harming others. While a custodial centre may not necessarily be a five-star hotel accommodation, inmates must be reasonably fed and their health is well taken care of.

"Their dignity should be well respected and they should be protected from abuse of any form – physical, sexual, verbal and psychological. They should leave the facilities on completion of their terms feeling well treated and their dignity as God’s creature restored".

Until his new appointment, AllNews Nigeria learnt that Mr Nababa was the Head of the Directorate of Finance and Accounts.