The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) said on Friday that the N500 million security grant from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative for Africa (ASR Africa) would be used to purchase technology to lessen the likelihood of additional prison attacks.
Last week, ASR Africa donated N500 million each to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the NCoS as a security sector support grant.
Last July, no less than 879 prisoners, including 64 notorious Boko Haram terrorists, escaped the Kuje Medium Custodial Facility in Abuja. At that time, Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan expressed disappointment that there were no closed-circuit television systems at the site after the jailbreak.
On the importance of technology, NCoS spokesperson, Abubakar Umar said on Friday that the prison facilities across the states would be touched noting that most of the facilities were old.
He also stated that technology would be deployed across the custodial centres to discourage any form of attack on the facilities.
He said: “With the fund granted, the prison facilities will be touched through the upgrade of the structure and there will be an improvement of rehabilitation programs of the inmates. The staff of the Service will undergo training from the fund.
“Last year, the Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated a monitoring room in the headquarters. Other facilities that have not enjoyed these technologies will enjoy the upgrade of e-correction in their custodial centres because it will ease the issue of security in our facilities.
“From the deployment of technology, we will be able to monitor every movement within the inner part of their custodial centres. The money will be invested in various areas of the prisons”.
