The incessant attacks on custodial centres across the country in recent times has become worrisome and an additional insecurity burden on the already fragile safety in Nigeria.
This is to say that the attacks have become one -too many, requiring urgent attention, heavy security concentration on the custodial , along side tackling Banditry, kidnappings and terrorism.
Regrettably ,the various attacks have no doubt left many dead, especially security personnel who guard the facilities.
However, available statistics indicate that between April and October alone, there have been three attacks in Imo, Kogi and Oyo facilities, with a total of 2866 inmates freed. Of this number, only 262 have been recaptured from the Abonlogo correctional facility in Oyo, leaving no less than a total of 2604 alleged criminal elements still tucked within civilian society. Obviously this calls for serious concern.
Curiously , the April Owerri invasion alone, in Imo state which initiated the gale of attacks on correctional centres this year had 1800 inmates freed, while another 266 persons were also forcibly released in Kabba,Kogi, in September. Still counting, another 575 awaiting trial persons are still on the run in the recent Oyo jail break masterminded by external aggressors from where 800 detainees were freed.
Expectedly, government has expressed concern over the magnitude of criminal elements still on the run and remixed with the larger society, side by side, casualties often recorded on the side of the security personnel on guard the facilities each time the attacks occured in all the official statements concerning the attacks . And in most instances, some of the invasions were linked to dissident groups, with concerted efforts by the authorities to clamp them down, despite the fact that no meaningful numbers of the escapees have been recaptured.
Though we commend these attempts notwithstanding, but we are not in agreement with the authority’s claims that Prison Guards and those complementing them are often overpowered and the facilities broken into with heavy grenades by the marauders.
Needless we glorify these excuses and reasons usually given, what should be advanced, argued and analysed , going forward is, why have custodial facilities in the country come under severe attacks lately and how can the emerging, worrisome development be urgently redressed.
Certainly there’s the popular saying that there is no smoke without fire, which is the glaring expose’ the attacks on Nigerian’s custodial centres across the country have thrown up recently.
True to fact, Government must begin to have ‘Intelligence’ about these Correctional centres given the types ,calibre of personalities within its of holdings. This is also not too distant from the age-long lapses ,ranging ,from, inadequate funding, inefficient security strategy, inefficient legal procedures resulting to over crowding ,
Awaiting Trials, lack of adequate legislative framework,( such as constitutional amendments) perhaps to bring in more stakeholders, like States governments , to build and managing correctional services in the country, among others. Against this backdrop, there is the dire need for a complete overhaul of the country’s entire prisons management system. An introduction of an entirely new reforms far above the current framework operational in the correctional centres.
To ensure we are on the right track, it is therefore not too late in the ongoing constitution alteration by the National Assembly, to empower states government to build, manage custodial facilities . Such inherent gains like decongesting the current ones that are over crowded and building new centres will free the federal government from such internal interferences and make the management less cumbersome and effective.
Similarly there is need to increase budgetary allocation to the Nigeria Correctional Services, to improve , expand, and also build modern- day custodial centres against the dilapidated buildings inherited from the Colonial masters
Importantly, a call for an entirely new security architecture solely designed for Correctional centres cannot be too much, now that there is a national consensus for a new security rebirth for the whole country.
This is the time to appraise security at these facilities side- by -side , what is currently done, following the unending insecurity challenges nationwide.
In the new Prisons security strategy, emphasis must be made to train special guards solely for prison security with devices to detonate explosives installed in all the facilities.
Going forward, security operatives assigned to these facilities must be focused, on the alert and must stop creating check points/ road blocks for extorting motorists, like the case along the Okene, Ukpilla highway in Kogi state, where the security personnel assigned to that facility have turned the entrance to the custodial to a check point, where they stop and extort money from motorists. This is a major distraction and dangerous to the security officials whom themselves can be easy and soft targets for criminals. It must stop.
We detest this misnomer which must stop and believe that with government’s acceptance of suggested reforms, inclusive of an entirely new security scheme specifically for the custodial centres nationwide, future attacks can be subdued.