By Omeiza Ajayi

The Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS has dismissed three of its personnel including a very senior officer, a Controller of Corrections.

According to the Service, the move is in a bid to maintain high standard of discipline and professionalism

Service Spokesman, ACC Abubakar Umar said the NCoS had “reviewed various cases of unprofessional conducts, wrongdoings, improper behaviours and serious misconducts of erring personnel, resulting to the dismissal of three personnel, including a Controller of Corrections”.

He said the various misconducts include gross negligence of duty, absence without leave, trafficking in illicit items, general inefficiency, falsification of results among others.

Part of the statement reads; “In a letter issued by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board CDCFIB, a total of 20 personnel were discharged and acquitted of the various offences which they were accused of; while one officer who was previously suspended was reinstated after the review exercise.

“Also, a total of three personnel were compulsorily retired, six personnel had their ranks reduced, while 13 personnel attracted either verbal or plain warning.

“These sanctions are in line with the zero tolerance on staff misconducts, a cardinal mantra of the Controller General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa FICMC, MFR, mni, and targeted towards ridding the Service of unscrupulous elements and misfits, so as to improve professionalism as well as to entrench discipline, ethics and excellence in its officers and men.

“The Service has the onerous mandate of keeping custody of the legally interned in a safe and humane condition as well as reforming, rehabilitating and reintegrating them back to the society as responsible citizens. In order to meet these mandates, the Service ensures that it cleanses personnel of bad eggs as well as unprofessionalism that may setback or slowdown the achievement of these important national mandates.

“The Service hereby assures the members of the general public of its resolve to secure all custodial and non-custodial facilities, and engender true correctional practice in conformity with international best correctional practices. The general public is also requested to support the Nigerian Correctional Service in its efforts towards effective offenders’ management so as to promote public safety and national security in general”.