FG To Build Six New Prisons

The federal government on Saturday disclosed that it would establish six new modern custodial facilities in the six geo-political zones in the country.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this in Kano while inspecting the ongoing model maximum security custodial facility project at Janguza in Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

Aregbesola said the project was part of projects initiated by the federal government to reform the correctional service.

He said: “We are actualising our commitment to reform the correctional service that we have in Nigeria.

“What we have here is a model of what we expect to have nationwide. Here, we have a 3,000 custodial facility, which we plan to replicate in each of the six geo-political zones in the country.

“It is designed for inmates awaiting trial, a petty, medium and maximum security facility,” the minister said according to a THISDAY report.

Aregbesola, who expressed satisfaction with the project, commended President Buhari for his support to the correctional service reforms aimed at enhancing its operations.

In his remarks, the Controller-General, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr Ahmad Jafaru said that the project was designed with dormitories, school, hospital, skills acquisition centre and a mosque, among others.

He said the project would be commissioned this year, adding that the ancient Kurmawa Maximum Prison had been upgraded into a rehabilitation centre.