The Federal Government says that correctional officers must be psychologically sound to effectively manage inmates in their custody.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, submitted at the second hearing of the Independent Investigative Panel on the Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, Cruel Inhumane and Degrading Treatment against the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), yesterday, in Abuja.
He said: “The core responsibility of a correctional officer is to be an agent of rehabilitation, restoration, reformation, and correction, and never to be an agent of condemnation. When condemnation takes the place of correction, then the system must have failed.
“They (officers) really need psychological remediation because the man, who will handle another man that is already feeling deprived, should be psychologically sound.”
Tunji-Ojo noted that respecting the rights and dignity of individuals in incarceration was a basic requirement of all correctional officers, and they therefore, cannot afford to fail in this regard.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda extends even to those in incarceration, because the way a nation treats the weakest and not the strongest among it, is a true reflection of its character.
“For me, the correctional centre is very key, not just to the criminal justice system, but to the real intent and the foundation of who we are as a people, who we are as a society, and what we stand for as a country,” he added.
Noting that overcrowding of prisons was mostly in the metropolitan areas, the minister stated the current 250 custodial centres nationwide were too many for the country.
He said a lot of the other custodial centres were not at full capacity, hinting at plans to move federal offenders to some of these centres.
The minister also urged the men and officers of the NCoS to prioritise non-custodial measures towards ending prison congestion and checking corruption in the system.
Acting Controller General of the NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, said the findings and recommendations of the panel were critical to improving the working of the agency and propelling efforts at meeting global best practices.
Chairperson of the panel and Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, said key stakeholders like the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the judiciary, have strong roles to play in sustaining reforms in the NCoS and the criminal justice system.
While pledging the commitment of the judiciary to the government’s effort in prison reforms, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, stated: “Members of the NBA have a duty to ensure justice is given to persons in incarceration.”
