Abuja: The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has achieved a milestone in implementing the Service Act, 2019, with the successful release of 10 parolees under the parole provisions of the Act. The service Public Relations Officer, CSC Jane Osuji, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday, noting that the event took place at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Umuahia, marking the first practical application of the parole system in Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Osuji stated that this development represents a significant advancement in the service’s ongoing correctional reforms aimed at promoting rehabilitation, reintegration, restorative justice, and custodial decongestion. She further described the success as the beginning of a new phase in the evolution of correctional administration in Nigeria, reinforcing the correctional service’s commitment to a humane, rehabilitation-driven, and community-focused system.
Osuji detailed that the ten parolees were drawn from the Medium Security Custodial Centres in Aba and Umuahia, as well as the Custodial Centre, Arochukwu. They received empowerment and reintegration support packages, including sewing machines, vocational tools, and livelihood support items, facilitated through the partnership of PRAWA, IDEA, and ROLAC, along with financial assistance to support their transportation and resettlement.
She quoted the Controller General of Corrections (CGC), Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, represented by the Zonal Coordinator, ACG Ngozi Okeke, as describing the occasion as a defining moment in Nigeria’s correctional history. Nwakuche emphasized that this was a major step towards the full implementation of the transformative provisions of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019.
Nwakuche highlighted that parole is a globally recognised correctional mechanism that enables carefully selected and deserving inmates to reintegrate into society under supervision while maintaining public safety and accountability. The successful implementation of parole demonstrates the service’s commitment to balancing justice with rehabilitation and reflects the Federal Government’s resolve to adopt modern and progressive correctional practices.
The commencement of parole administration in Nigeria is anticipated to significantly reduce recidivism, enhance offender rehabilitation, strengthen community reintegration, and decongest custodial facilities across the country. The CGC commended the Abia Command, Chairman and members of the Abia Parole Board, the Judiciary, and all criminal justice stakeholders for pioneering the implementation of the parole system, acknowledging the support of NGOs such as PRAWA, the International IDEA Programme, and ROLAC.
The controller called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, employers, civil society organisations, and the public to embrace and support the reintegration of parolees and other ex-offenders. Successful reintegration is seen as a collective responsibility essential to reducing re-offending, strengthening public safety, and building safer communities.
Earlier, the Controller of Corrections in Abia, CC Ifeoma Nwanyanwu, described the event as a practical demonstration of the service’s commitment to rehabilitation-focused corrections. Similarly, the Chairman of the state parole board, Justice Obisike Oji, explained that parole is not an act of pardon or clemency but a structured correctional measure designed to facilitate the supervised reintegration of deserving inmates into society. He urged the beneficiaries to remain law-abiding and make productive contributions to their communities.