FG to establish 6 new modern custodial facilities – Minister

The Federal Government on Saturday said it would establish six modern custodial facilities in the six geo-political zones in the country.

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, stated this while inspecting the ongoing Model Maximum Security Custodial facility project, Janguza, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.

Aregbesola said that the project was part of programmes initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari to reform the correctional service.

He said: “We are actualising our commitment to reform Correctional Service that we have in Nigeria.

“What we have here is a model of what we expect to have nationwide and here is a 3,000 custodial facility, and we plan to have it in each of the six geo-political zones.

“This is more advanced in terms of space and other facilities. It is designed for inmates awaiting trial, petty, medium and maximum security facility.

“I am highly impressed by the pace and quality of work,” he said.

Aregbesola lauded President Buhari for his support to the Correctional service reforms aimed at enhancing its operations.

Speaking earlier, Mr Ahmad Jafaru, the Controller-General, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), said that the project was designed with dormitories, school, hospital, skills acquisition centre and a mosque among others.

Jafaru said that the project was planned to be commissioned this year, adding that the service had also upgraded the ancient Kurmawa Maximum Prison into a rehabilitation centre.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister was accompanied on the visit by Heads of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) among others.