In a bid to curb rising security threats at correctional facilities, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has ordered the immediate deployment of armed personnel and intelligence officers to custodial centres across the country.
The directive, issued by the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, aims to fortify security at these facilities—officially classified as critical national assets—amid a troubling wave of jailbreaks that have seen thousands of inmates escape in recent years.
Speaking on the development, NSCDC Spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, said the deployment was meant to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Correctional Service in preventing jailbreaks and other criminal activities.
“This is to collaborate with the Nigerian Correctional Service and complement their efforts in preventing jailbreaks and any nefarious activities by criminal elements,” Afolabi stated.
The move comes as Nigeria grapples with an alarming pattern of prison breaks. Reports indicate that in the past six years, at least 6,385 inmates have escaped from 11 correctional facilities nationwide.
Despite efforts by security agencies, only 2,032 of the escapees have been recaptured, leaving over 4,285 convicts still at large.
Security experts have linked the frequent jailbreaks to poor infrastructure, insider collusion, and coordinated attacks by criminal gangs, including terrorists. High-profile incidents, such as the 2022 Kuje prison attack in Abuja, where Boko Haram suspects were freed, have raised concerns about the safety of correctional facilities.
The latest NSCDC directive signals a renewed focus on prison security, as authorities seek to prevent further breaches that could worsen insecurity in the country.
