In anticipation of the nationwide protest scheduled to commence on 1st August, the Federal Government has declared all its 256 custodial centres across the country as “red zones,” stressing that their sanctity must not be compromised under any circumstances.
The Controller General of Corrections (CGC), Hailey Nababa, issued this warning in a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja.
“In light of the purported national protest set to take place on the 1st of August 2024, the Nigerian Correctional Service wishes to inform the public that Custodial Centres have been designated as red zones. Therefore, any individual or group without legitimate business should keep away,” the statement, signed by the agency’s spokesman, Abubakar Umar, read.
The agency reiterated that “custodial and non-custodial centres are critical national assets essential for public safety and national security.”
The statement continued, “Any tampering with or attacks on these facilities would lead to a breakdown of law and order, exacerbating the security situation in society at large.”
In response to the proposed protest, security measures have been intensified at custodial centres nationwide.
“Adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure that no correctional facility is compromised,” the statement noted.
“The Ministry of Interior Joint Taskforce (MOIJTF) has been activated to provide additional security in and around custodial facilities across the country.”
This action follows a similar directive from the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), which ordered increased security around the nation’s borders.
“The Comptroller General of Immigration Service, KN Nandap PCC, MMIS, FSM, has instructed Zonal Heads, State Command Comptrollers, and Divisional Immigration Officers (DIOs) across the country to be especially vigilant and enhance surveillance in light of the planned nationwide protest by certain groups,” the NCS stated.
Other security agencies, including the Nigerian Army and the police, have also issued warnings against any violence during the upcoming protest.