The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Chris Musa and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, have directed the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, to conduct a thorough investigation into the accusations against personnel of the service.
News About Nigeria gathered that Gen. Chris Musa accused some correctional service personnel of colluding with inmates to fund terrorist operations during a session with the House of Representatives.
He revealed that Boko Haram members, when debriefed, disclosed how they planned operations from within the prison and transferred funds using certain prison warders’ accounts.
Expressing concern over these allegations, Minister Tunji-Ojo condemned the unpatriotic acts of the personnel involved.
He emphasised a commitment to ensuring a swift and comprehensive investigation, with a stern warning that any officer found culpable or complicit in sabotaging the Nigerian Correctional Service and, by extension, national security would face the full consequences of the law.
“The issue of correctional facilities In the North East, when we were debriefing some of the arrested Boko Haram, they were able to tell us how, from the prison, they could plan operations out in the field. They pass funds across.
“They use some of the warders there. We are not saying all of them are corrupt. They use their accounts and the deal is that anyone whose account is used shares it 50/50. Those are the challenges, ” Musa had said while appearing before the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The minister also conveyed ongoing efforts to reform the correctional service to meet international standards, focusing on genuine rehabilitation of inmates in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He assured the public that actions, not just words, would be taken to address any breach, emphasising the administration’s dedication to protecting the interests of the state.
