The Controller-General of Corrections (NCoS), Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche and the leadership of the Nigeria Military Intelligence led by Major Gen. RE Hedima have agreed on collaborative efforts that would enhance safety of custodial centres and Intelligence sharing in their operations.
The commitment was made at the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Abuja when the Chief of Military Intelligence (Army), Major General RE Hedima, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Controller-General of Corrections.
The two institutions pledged to strengthen strategic collaboration especially as regards the operations of the Nigeria Army Intelligence Corps (NAIC) and the Correctional Service. The partnership aimed to bolster custodial security and advance national security objectives.
CGC Nwakuche who received the delegation, described the visit as a demonstration of the enduring partnership between the security institutions, noting that contemporary security threats demand closer inter-agency cooperation and intelligence-led responses.
“Security is a shared national responsibility,” Nwakuche said in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Correctional Service, Jane Osuji.
“The challenges confronting custodial centres have become increasingly complex, making stronger collaboration, timely intelligence sharing and coordinated action among security agencies more imperative than ever,” Nwakuche added.
The Controller-General disclosed that the Service currently manages an inmate population of about 81,000, with approximately 65 per cent awaiting trial and over 4,000 inmates on death row, underscoring the enormous responsibility placed on correctional personnel in safeguarding custodial facilities across the country.
He paid tribute to officers and men of the Service who have made the ultimate sacrifice while defending custodial centres against attacks and containing security breaches, stressing that the NCoS remains resolute in protecting lives, securing facilities and fulfilling its statutory mandate.
Nwakuche also highlighted the Service’s sustained investment in inmate reformation and rehabilitation through education, vocational skills acquisition, deradicalisation initiatives for violent extremists and specialised programmes for juveniles in Borstal Training Institutions, describing rehabilitation as an essential component of national security.
The Chief of Military Intelligence said the visit was intended to consolidate the longstanding relationship between the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps and the Nigerian Correctional Service while exploring practical avenues for strengthening security collaboration.
Major Gen. Hedima commended the NCoS for its critical role in securing custodial centres and reforming offenders, acknowledging the dedication of correctional officers who work under increasingly demanding security conditions.
He noted that evolving security threats require continuous adaptation of custodial security architecture and advocated institutionalised joint training for personnel of both agencies, the designation of intelligence focal officers and the prompt exchange of actionable and time-sensitive intelligence.
“Our adversaries are constantly evolving,” he said. “Our response must equally evolve through stronger partnerships, better intelligence coordination and sustained collaboration among security agencies,” Gen Hedima added.