“Secure custodial facilities or face consequences” — CGC Nwakuche warns corrections commanders

The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, has delivered a hard-hitting message to senior officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service: secure all custodial facilities immediately—or be prepared to face strict disciplinary action.

In a high-level emergency virtual strategy meeting convened on Tuesday, the CGC addressed Zonal Coordinators, Commandants of Training Colleges, and State Command Controllers. The session, which focused on strengthening security protocols during the festive season and the peak of the rainy period, was described by insiders as one of the most decisive in recent memory.

“This is not just about concrete walls and iron bars,” CGC Nwakuche told the gathered officers. “It’s about trust, duty, and the safety of every Nigerian. The time for complacency is over.”

With recent threats to national security and repeated weather-related risks to infrastructure, the CGC said the service must rise to the challenge or risk becoming part of the problem.

“You are either part of the solution, or you are the weakness we must eliminate,” he said. “There will be consequences for negligence, collusion, or dereliction of duty. Officers found wanting will face the full weight of internal disciplinary measures.”

The Controller General laid out a series of urgent directives, including:

• Immediate audits of all correctional facilities to assess current vulnerabilities.

• Deployment of proactive measures to fortify high-risk prisons.

• Identification and removal of weak links in the custodial chain of command.

• Increased surveillance and intelligence checks across the board.

• Strict adherence to the Service’s zero-tolerance policy on internal breaches.

Nwakuche emphasized that leadership at all levels must set the tone for discipline and preparedness. “Every commanding officer must take personal responsibility. We cannot afford excuses. We need action—now.”

During the strategy session, the CGC also opened the floor to feedback, noting both commendable performances and areas of concern. “Some of you have shown initiative. That’s what we need more of—solutions, not excuses,” he remarked. “But where lapses exist, they will be addressed swiftly and without favoritism.”

In a rallying call at the close of the meeting, Nwakuche appealed for unity and professionalism:

“Let us renew our commitment to duty. The public is watching. Our partners in other agencies are watching. We cannot afford another security failure. We must be vigilant, disciplined, and united in this mission.”

He also emphasized the importance of collaboration with other security agencies and the general public, saying, “Security is not a one-agency affair. We must strengthen our ties with sister agencies and foster public trust through transparency and effectiveness.”

The meeting, attended virtually by dozens of senior officers across all zones, marks a new phase in the Correctional Service’s efforts to preempt and deter breaches in custodial facilities nationwide.