Miffed by threats of attacks on its custodial facilities, the Federal Government has restated its shoot on sight order it earlier gave the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS against intruders.
Lamenting that the goal of the administration of criminal justice would have been defeated and money spent on arrests, investigations, trials and prosecution wasted if inmates are allowed to escape, government said those who attack custodial centres must never live to tell their stories.
It warned against posting of lily-livered personnel to custodial facilities, saying only sharp shooters who are trained to aim at the heads of criminals should be deployed to such centres.
Accordingly, the government has also commissioned a Command and Control Room for real time monitoring of selected custodial centres across the country.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola gave the order on Tuesday on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari while unveiling new service uniforms and logo for the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS.
At the event where he also commissioned a block of barracks for junior officers and 40 operational vehicles, the minister gave awards to 25 personnel of a Kagara custodial facility in Niger state, where the personnel repelled an invasion by bandits.
He said; “As far as I am concerned, whoever attempts to attack our facilities, whoever dates should not live to tell the story. That is how best I can say it.
“Whoever attacks our custodial facility should be made to return to his maker.
“I have said it before and I will say it again that all our facilities are red zones. Rifles are for criminals, not for hunting antelopes. You don’t need any order. Don’t wait for any order. Anybody that comes to attack our custodial facilities which are the end or finishing line of administration of criminal justice, take them out. Our facilities should be inviolable and any intruder must be made to pay a huge price.
“Inmates now know that they cannot escape by themselves. They gave criminals outside who want to help them to escape.
“Any officer that is too lily livered, that cannot shoot to kill, that cannot aim the head of a criminal, should be trained correctly. Train them to shoot the head of invaders, not legs. Whoever is not bold enough to shoot to kill, don’t take them to custodial centres, except maybe the female section. Out of the over 70,000 inmates, we have less than 3000 and they don’t constitute any threat to us. So, those who are afraid to shoot, of you don’t want to dismiss them, let them be in the female prisons. But those who are going to be in the maximum and minimum custodial centres, they must be very rough people. It is a serious matter. We have had enough of the embarrassment. We must out and end to it.
