The Controller, National Correctional Centre, Kaduna State Command, Sanusi Danmusa, says the command is no longer admitting new inmates into the centre.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kaduna, the controller said it was part of measures put in place to avert the spread of COVID-19 pandemic at the centre.
According to him, there is no case of COVID-19 in Kaduna Maximum Custodial Centre or any other centre within the command.
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“We have put measures in place to ensure such is prevented in the centre; all staff on duty upon entrance, use sanitiser, hand gloves and face mask, and testing of their temperature is also done,” he said
Danmusa also said that visitations had been suspended across the 14 correctional facilities in the state to avert the spread of the virus in them.
According to him, the national correctional centre had established an isolation centre in case of any eventuality, adding that the centre had been well prepared.
On the recent civil unrest at the centre, the controller said the inmates attacked the members of staff on duty with various harmful objects during the incident.
“Ten members of staff were injured, but the inmates were overwhelmed and the situation has been contained with no record of escape.
“Preliminary investigation showed that the convicts were asking for their release, based on the rumour making the rounds in some media that the Federal Government had directed the release of 70 per cent of inmates,” he said.
Danmusa noted that there was no such directive to the service to release any percentage of inmates.
“Rather the service awaits any directive to that effect and will not hesitate to implement such order.
“Base on the directives of the Controller General, Ja’afaru Ahmed, the state command has put adequate measures on ground to contain the virus,” he added.
He, however, urged the general public not to worry about the safety of the inmates and assured them that the welfare of the inmates was the priority of the service.
Danmusa said the controller general had already set up an investigation panel to find out the immediate and remote causes of the incidence in order to forestall future occurrences.
NAN recalls that the civil unrest occurred on March 31 at about 11 p.m.