The Federal Government has announced plans to equip its prisons formations with Closed Circuit Television Cameras CCTV for enhanced surveillance.
This is in reaction to series of jailbreaks that had taken place in prisons in recent times especially the Koton Karfe Prison in Kogi state.
Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd) stated this Tuesday in Abuja while addressing top officials of the Nigerian Prisons Service at a meeting described by participants as “soul-searching”.
He equally read the riot act to personnel who shirk in their responsibilities saying while the federal government has a duty to provide prisons facilities and train the personnel, the service must be active at all times.
“I know the significance of the prisons service as the custodian of all categories of inmates whether convicted or awaiting trial, low or high-profile. You also have the responsibility to rehabilitate those in custody.
“That is why we are having this meeting to tackle the incessant problem of prison break. In the last two months, we have had two incidents. I believe that this is not good news at all. So, we have to find ways of dealing with them.
“First, I am aware that quiet a number of prisons have structural problems, even the most recent ones are not constructed according to standard. Secondly, I am also aware that most of the prison are old. Some, over a century like the Kano prisons. I am also aware that the inmates have increased and the prison shave not been expanded,” he said.
