The Controller General of Correctional Service, Alhaji Jaafaru Ahmed, has said the Service has began addmission of inmates into Custodian Centres in 28 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adding that 8 states are yet to comply with the guidelines for covid-19 pandemic.
The Correctional Service boss also explained that since the admission was restored, over 9,900 inmates have been taken to the various custodian centres in the country.
Speaking at the Headquarters of the Service Wednesday in Abuja during the presentation of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) by Prisoners Rehabilitation Welfare Action (PRAWA) and OSIWA to the Service , Ahmed said no single case of COVID 19 was recorded in any custodian centre across the nation uptill date.
Items donated by the organisations are 50,000 pieces of face masks, computers, mobile communications modems, and phones for virtual visitations, 1,000 face shields for protection of inmates, 47 spraying cans for disinfection and pedal operated water tanks.
The Controller General linked the development to stringent conditions adopted by the Service to prevent the outbreak of the pandemic, asserting that though there were apprehensions across the country over the fate of the inmates, the Service was able to put the situation under control.
Alhaji Ahmed who appealled to the media to canvass for the support of stakeholders and the public on the implementation of the Correctional Service Act 2019, said the implementaion of the Act is hindered by lack of support from the general public.
He said part of the Acts allowed for donations from individuals, organisations and Public spirited persons in support of the running of the none Custodian Service, stressing that such support would go a long way to reduce the number of inmates in the custodian centres.
According to him, during the Covid-19 lockdown over 20,000 none custodian service were recorded in the FCT alone, adding that “they are ordinary people who would have gone to the prisons.”
