The Federal Government of Nigeria has intensified efforts to strengthen security in custodial centres across the country by deploying technology and approving the distribution of security vehicles to enhance monitoring and surveillance.
The Service Public Relations Officer, SPRO Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS Abubakar Umar disclosed this to NAN on Wednesday in Abuja.
Umar said that the government had declared custodial centres “red zones,” restricting access to authorised personnel and introducing technological monitoring systems to track activities within and outside the facilities.
He said that the high-profile custodial centres were now monitored technologically, with a system in place to track inmates’ movements from 200 meters away.
He also said that the national headquarters could also monitor activities in real-time, ensuring effective supervision and control.
“The issue of security is something that needs huge financial commitment and the government is doing so much to ensure that our facilities are not just remodeled but to ensure that they are not breached and that is why the FG declared our custodial centres ‘red zones’.
“If you have no business to be there, you don’t need to be there,” he said.
Umar said that in the past, security operatives at various custodial centres relied heavily on the physical presence of the service’s armed personnel and other security agencies.
“However, we have now moved beyond that approach. Today we have custodial centres that are not only mounted by our personnel, other security agencies, but that are being monitored through technology.
“We have most of our high profile custodial centres monitored technologically, where we monitored those coming into our custody, 200 metres away.
“We have a system where from our national headquarters, we monitor activities of inmates as soon as they come out of their cells.
“Their privacy also matters to us but as soon as they come out of the cells, we begin to monitor what they do within the yard of the custodial centres, including outside.
“This is to tell you that the government is serious with the issue of security in this country and the coming of this administration has actually brought so much to NCoS in terms of support,” he said.
Nigerian govt declares custodial centres red zones, boosts security with technology