Trouble as Police Accuse Prison Officials of Extortion Before Remanding Suspects
- Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service have been accused of always extorting relatives of suspects to be remanded
- The allegation against the prison officials was made by a deputy commissioner of police in Lagos state
- Ibrahim Zango in a letter to the controller general of the correctional service said that officials of prison demand between N10,000 and N20,000 from suspects' family members before admitting them into their facilities
The leadership of the Nigerian Police Force has decried the level of extortion carried out by officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Premium Times reports that the police alleged that the prison officials are engaged in acts of extortion before remanding suspecting on trial or those who have been sentenced.
Source: UGC
Details of this allegation were found in a memo sent by the deputy commissioner of police at the Police Special Fraud Unit Ikoyi, Lagos, Ibrahim Zango to the controller general of the correctional service.
Zango had asked the controller general of the NCS to call his staff to order and prevent an impending dent in the image of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration and the NCS.
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According to Zango, personnel of the NCS have consistently exploited relatives and associates of suspects expected to be remanded.
In the memo dated July 18, 2022, Zango said that the unprofessional act has has portrayed the correctional service in “a bad light.”
Zango's words:
“The impunity with which personnel demand between N10,000 and N20,000 from relatives of suspects on Court remand before they can be received for remand portray the Nigeria Correctional Service in a bad light to members of the public and appears highly irrational."
“This wanton act has been severally reported by Officers of this Unit but I never took it to heart until they exhibited the same in my presence at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi - Lagos, and this was witnessed at Igbosere Court, Saka Tinubu, Lagos, and Ogba Magistrate Court, Lagos.”
Recommendation from police to NCS
Further calling for ways to curb the menace, Zango said that conscious efforts should be made to end such impunity.
He added:
“As a measure to abate the above-premised act, I sincerely request that they should be called to order to avert further dent on the image of this government establishment.”
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Ndume confirmed that the fundamental purpose of the government, which is securing citizens' lives and property, has been abandoned by the present administration.
According to the lawmaker, he feels pained being a senator in the current situation that Nigeria is facing.
DCP Abba Kyari in our custody', official reacts to report of escape after terrorist attack on Kuje prison
The reports that the suspended deputy inspector general of police, Abba Kyari had escaped from Kuje prison have been debunked.
A spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, described the reports as fake and misleading.
Abubakar said Kyari is in the custody of the NCS, and contrary to the reports, the suspended DCP is hale and hearty.
Source: Legit.ng
