The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has cautioned that officers who display negligence in their duties will face disciplinary action, in light of the repeated jailbreaks recorded across custodial centres nationwide.
Controller-General of the NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, blamed the incidents on the complacency of certain officers, stressing that such lapses would no longer be condoned.
According to data compiled from media reports, the NCoS website, and other sources, no fewer than 6,700 inmates escaped from 13 facilities between 2019 and 2025, with more than 4,600 still unaccounted for.
According to reports, a significant number of the fugitives were awaiting trial for serious crimes, including terrorism and armed robbery.
No fewer than 2,000 escapees have been recaptured, according to reports.
Speaking during the decoration of 30 newly promoted Assistant Controllers-General of Corrections in Abuja on Friday, Nwakuche condemned what he called the “lackadaisical attitude” of some zonal coordinators, state controllers, and custodial centre officers, which he said had contributed to repeated security breaches.
“It is obvious that our Zonal Coordinators, State Controllers, and Officers-in-Charge of Custodial Centres have abdicated their duties. This is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated. Any further abdication of responsibilities will surely attract the big stick,” he said.
The CG reminded the newly promoted officers that their elevation was not merely ceremonial but a call to provide disciplined, proactive leadership at a time when public confidence in the correctional system is fragile.
Nwakuche reaffirmed the service’s commitment to the vision outlined in the NCoS Act 2019, which shifts the emphasis from punitive incarceration to rehabilitation and reintegration.
He also praised President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for their continued support in reforming the service and improving conditions for personnel and inmates alike.
The NCoS boss stressed that the elevation of the officers was not merely a change of insignia but formal recognition of years of diligence, sacrifice, and unyielding commitment to duty.
