Prison Act Inadequate to Meet Contemporary Global Orientation, Says Correction Service CG

  • CG speaks on the reason for the change of name from NPS to NCS.
  • Says it is certainly one of the best things that have happened to the Nigerian Security and Justice sectors.

Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correction Service (NCS), Mr. Jafaru Mohammed, has said that the Prison Act remained grossly inadequate to meet the contemporary global orientation.

He, however, noted that the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) derived its legal authority from the Prisons Act of 1972 found in CAP P29 Laws of the Federation (LFN) 2004 which prescribed safe custody as its primary mandate.

Speaking at an interactive session with Command Officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCS) organised by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, at the Abdulrahman Dambazau Conference Center, NCS National Headquarters, Sauka, Abuja, Mohammed said that the NPS has failed to address the behavioral reorientation required to prepare offenders for subsequent re-integration back to society.

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“In spite of the numerous achievements of the erstwhile NPS and her contributions to internal security and access to justice in Nigeria, the Prison Act remained grossly inadequate to meet the contemporary global orientation in the management of offenders.

“It was on this premise therefore that the idea of a new Act to repeal the Prison Act was conceived,” he added.

Speaking on the emergence of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) from Prison Service, Mohammed said it is certainly one of the best things that have happened to the Nigerian Security and Justice sectors, adding that the transition from the NPS to the NCS is fundamental, far beyond a mere change in nomenclature and Nigeria will be a lot better for it.

“The new law (NCS Act 2019) apart from the change of name from the Nigerian Prisons Service to NIGERIAN CORRECTIONAL SERVICE also classifies the Service into two broad parts, the Custodial Service and the Non- Custodial Service,” he stated.

READ: Breaking: Nigerian Prison Service now to be known as Nigerian Correctional Service

Aregbesola had at an event said that the change in name is deliberate and it is to reflect the philosophical orientation of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

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