The Federal Government has expressed great outrage at the recent wave of attacks on Custodial Centres of the Nigeria Correctional Service NCoS, ordering personnel of the Service’s armed squad to shoot at sight any internal and external aggressor.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola gave the order at an emergency meeting with NCoS Squadron Commanders, Field Commanders and Heads of Armed Squads.
This was as he said some of the inmates who escaped from the custodial centres have been rearrested for murder.
He also cautioned the personnel against trafficking which he said is one way through which criminals invade the facilities having known that they could smuggle contraband into the facilities.
While he declared the centres as “red zones” which must remain inviolable at all costs, Aregbesola directed the officers to deploy maximum force rather than minimum force against aggressors.
He said; “Our Custodial Centres must be red zones. It is a quarantine centre for those who by law should not live among free men. When a person is declared unfit to relate with other humans, it is the duty of the authorities to guarantee it.
“We are with you absolutely to make our Custodial Centres inviolable. Attacks on centres is no longer a happenstance. There is a pattern now and we can no longer give any excuse to allow these attacks to succeed.
