Abuja: The Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption and Other Violations against the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has identified critical gaps in the service’s rehabilitation and reintegration programmes. The panel, however, called for urgent reforms and stronger stakeholder support.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr Uju Agomoh, Secretary of the panel, shared these insights while summarizing day three of the third public hearing in Abuja. The panel acknowledged contributions from NGOs, development partners, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), and other agencies but emphasized that institutional gaps in personnel, equipment, record-keeping, and market access were hindering progress.
Agomoh highlighted that presentations before the panel underscored the need for expanded support to allow partners to contribute more effectively and ensure sustainability. She noted that correctional workshops and farm centres were not maintaining accurate records of production, income, and profits. To address this, the panel recommended training managers in accordance with Section 14(4) of the NCoS Act to standardize documentation.
Regarding economic activities, the panel urged the government and private sector to invest in correctional enterprises, emphasizing that without adequate production and sales, profitability and benefit-sharing would remain minimal. The importance of engaging families of inmates, including children, was also stressed as part of rehabilitation and reintegration efforts. The panel requested NCoS to provide a comprehensive list of all correctional centres, detailing visitation facilities, challenges, and plans for structured family engagement.
Agomoh added that a mechanism to track the performance of staff, centres, and inmates is necessary to recognize excellence and address underperformance. She highlighted the necessity of rehabilitation, as every inmate who does not die in custody will eventually return to society. She advocated for the use of the non-custodial directorate to prevent offending and reoffending.
The panel secretary also commended the NCoS Public Relations Unit for its initiatives such as music therapy but called for more visibility in areas where assistance is needed. She urged the media to prioritize accuracy and clarity in reporting and to increase coverage frequency to spotlight correctional challenges. Agomoh appealed for sustained media coverage even after the panel’s report submission, to support the implementation of recommendations.
She praised the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for initiating the panel, describing it as a model for other ministries to emulate by welcoming diverse inputs for service improvement.