The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari on the construction of the 3,000 capacity ultra-modern Custodial Centre in Janguza, Kano State, to address the issue of overcrowding in custodial centres.
The Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Controller of Corrections, (CC) Francis Enobore, disclosed this in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
Aregbesola described the 3,000 capacity ultra-modern Custodial Centre in Janguza, Kano State, as a masterpiece while appreciating the President for graciously approving funds to construct the complex.
NAN reports that Aregbesola made the remarks when he visited the project for inspection on Saturday in company of the Controller-General, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr Ja’afaru Ahmed, and some senior staff members of the ministry including officials of the Correctional Service.
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The Minister also commended the CG for the vision to have such a complex with comprehensive provisions to cater for the welfare of inmates.
He stated that the leadership of President Buhari was poised to improve the living conditions of all Nigerians including those in incarceration.
According to him, similar custodial centres of 3,000 capacities are on-going in Karshi, FCT for North-central and Bori, Rivers State for South-South geo-political zones.
“This will be replicated in the other geo-political zones in the country to address the problem of overcrowding which has remained in our penal system, ” he said.
The Controller General, NCoS, Mr Ja’afaru Ahmed, also appreciated the President for the budgetary provision and the Minister of Interior for the quality guidance to actualise the vision.
Ahmed noted that the complex would be commissioned this year to commence operation saying that the service was interested in the welfare of the inmates.
“The centre has sections for medium and maximum custody with provision for inmates’ reformation and rehabilitation programmes such as worship centres for the two dominant religions in Nigeria (Christianity and Islam).
“There are in and out-door games, 50-bed hospital, vocational training centre, classrooms for formal education and a host of others modern amenities to make life worth living for the inmates.
“We celebrate a new dawn in the life of the NCoS as this concept has certainly made a bold testimony of the leadership resolve to redefine the idea of penal administration in Nigeria. (NAN)