The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) says it is will partner with non-governmental organisations in ensuring security and peace in custodial centres.

The service also notes that the partnership will boost inmates’ education and skills acquisitions.

The FCT Controller of NCoS, Mr Abdul-Rahman Maiyaki, said this during the parliamentary meeting of the officers of the Correctional Service and the non-governmental organisations on Wednesday in Abuja.

Maiyaki said that the aim of the meeting was to ensure internal security and peace of the custodial centres by engaging the inmates’ effectively in education and skills acquisitions.

Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kabba, Kogi, was attacked by gunmen on Sept. 12.

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Maiyaki noted that the meeting with the non-governmental organisations was an instrument to be used in ensuring the FCT custodial centres were safe.

He noted that the NCoS had changed its focus on imprisonment to holistic inmates’ Reformation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration in line with its act.

He added that the NCoS was engaging the non-governmental organisations to ensure internal security and peace of the facilities.

According to him, saying when this is achieved, the tension in the facility would disappear.

“This will also enable us achieve the rehabilitative goals in which the inmates will be fully engaged in all they are offered and become better citizens thereafter.

“Attracting outsiders to come and invade our facilities thereby causing jailbreak will reduce when inmates are engaged in skills and education,” he said.

The controller said that the NCoS was doing it best to engage intelligent officers as measures to forestall jailbreaks across the country.

This, he said would ensure that bad eggs and insiders helping the unknown gunmen carried out evil assignments would be detected.

Deputy Director, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action Ogechi Agu said that the meeting was important as it showed that the correctional service appreciated the efforts of the non-governmental organisations so far.

Agu said that it was, however, a call to do more.

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She pledged to support with textbooks and cloths for the inmates welfare as a way of rehabilitating and reintegrating them.

Representatives of the non-governmental organisations present at the meeting assured the participants of support and commitment to inmates’ education and skills acquisition to help them to be better citizens thereafter.

Other non-governmental organisations were Prisons Fellowship Centre, Chify Rehabilitation Centre, Da’aurah Muslim Ummah, Forum for Prisons Visitation and Assistance and Secure the Future, among others.

Highlights of the event included presentations of aftercare material to an inmate who had completed her jail term in Suleja Custodial Centre as well as commendation letters to non-governmental organisations that were present.

This meeting was in commemoration of the Controller General of NCoS, Mr Haliru Nababa’s 100 days in office.