NCoS punishes 147 prison officers for aiding inmates

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has sanctioned 147 of its personnel for various acts of misconduct, including alleged involvement in the smuggling of prohibited items into custodial centres across the country.

The service said this is part of efforts to intensified its internal disciplinary measures as part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening security and curbing the circulation of contraband within custodial centres nationwide.

The Controller-General of the Service, Sylvester Ndidi disclosed this during the destruction of 1,167 confiscated mobile phones and other contraband items recovered from prisons nationwide over the past eight months.

According to him, the disciplinary action underscores the Service’s renewed commitment to enforcing discipline and restoring integrity within the nation’s correctional facilities.

He said the sanctioned officers were found culpable of acts ranging from aiding inmates in accessing illegal communication devices to negligence that enabled the inflow of prohibited materials into custodial centres.

Ndidi stressed that the Service would not tolerate any form of compromise from its personnel, warning that anyone found guilty of aiding contraband trafficking would face the full weight of disciplinary measures and the law.

“A total of 147 officers have been sanctioned for various levels of misconduct linked to contraband smuggling. This is part of our zero-tolerance policy for indiscipline and corruption within the Service,” he said.

He added that the destruction of 1,167 mobile phones, including Android devices, iPhones, and button phones, as well as SIM cards and other items, reflects the scale of infiltration attempts in correctional centres.

The Controller-General also revealed that ₦2.56 million recovered from inmates as smuggled cash had been remitted to the government treasury in line with financial regulations.

He noted that the Service had intensified intelligence-driven operations through a newly established Special Crack Team tasked with detecting and dismantling contraband networks within custodial centres.

Ndidi reiterated that the ongoing reforms were aimed at strengthening rehabilitation and reintegration efforts, warning that contraband circulation undermines national security and correctional objectives.

He further assured that the Service would continue to collaborate with sister security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the NDLEA, to prosecute offenders and external collaborators involved in smuggling activities.

The NCoS reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining security, discipline, and transparency across all custodial centres nationwide.