On Friday, Haliru Nababa, the Controller General (CG) of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), retired from service after reaching the statutory age of retirement.
Nababa, who spent 34 years as an NCoS officer, said during the pulling-out parade held in his honour in Abuja that his leadership as the head of the correctional service had prioritised and made significant progress in security, logistics and healthcare of inmates and staff.
“I must say that the support and cooperation I received from my management team and field officers remained unwavering and qualitative,” Nababa said.
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“Thus, the service was not only able to weather storms but significantly made progress in many fronts such as security, logistics, healthcare services, capacity building for staff, inmates’ welfare and training, staff promotion and a host of others.”
Former president Muhammadu Buhari appointed Nababa as the NCoS’ chief on May 10, 2021.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, also commended him and stated that Nababa’s tenure was “marked by significant achievements” and that his leadership “promoted a culture of transparency, accountability, and discipline within the NCoS”.
FIJ has highlighted some of the most significant crises including jailbreaks that rocked the NCoS during Nababa’s tenure as Controller General.
JAILBREAKS
Between May 2021 and December 2024 when Nababa served as the CG of Nigeria’s correctional service, the country witnessed at least 10 jailbreaks, with six of them happening months after his appointment.
These jailbreaks spread across different parts of the country from Abuja to Delta, Kwara, Imo, Niger, Jos, Kogi, Oyo and Edo.
Four months after his appointment on September 2021, unknown gunmen attacked the Kabba Correctional Centre in Kogi State. The attack on the prison led to the escape of 240 inmates. While some of them were immediately recaptured, there has been no information on the rest.
Another significant prison break happened in July 2022, after Boko Haram members attacked Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre Prison, Abuja, freeing over 800 inmates in the process.
FIJ reported how members of the terror group had ample time to execute their operation which occurred at night. Data shows that about 400 of the inmates are still on the run two years after the attack.
Then in April, about 118 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger State. The NCoS blamed the escape on a downpour which affected the facility’s fencing. FIJ later reported the same facility had an overcrowding problem.
READ ALSO: TIMELINE: 10 Major Jailbreaks on President Buhari’s Watch
THE BOBRISKY SAGA
In April, the Federal High Court in Lagos, sentenced Idris Okuneye, a popular cross-dresser and influencer, to prison on the charges of naira abuse. Okuneye was to spend six months in jail.
However, shortly before his sentence expired, it was confirmed that the cross-dresser was only in prison for three weeks out of six months.
In response to this, the NCoS then announced the suspension of two of its officers who had a hand in the case. Michael Anugwa, one of the officers, went ahead to tell the House of Representatives that it was only a “social media suspension”.
POOR WELFARE
Also in November, FIJ reported how Chinedu Udeora, an inmate at the Awka Correctional Centre in Anambra State, had been nursing a broken leg for three years without treatment from the NCoS.
At several points, inmates in prisons across the country have also begged the government to increase the quality of the meals given to them.
The welfare of inmates under Nababa was never great, according to prisoners who spoke to FIJ as sources for multiple reports.
The post FLASHBACK: 10 Jailbreaks, Countless Fugitives, Corruption…Nababa’s Legacy as NCoS Chief appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.