FROM MIJINYAWA BABA-UTHMAN,MINNA
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NcoS has said that the suspects who were arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, in Abuja Division were not remanded in any of the Custodial Centers in Abuja.
This was contained in a Press statement issued by the Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the Service Umar Danlami Abubakar (ACC) and made available to Rimawaglobal news.com in Minna Sunday, describing the report as misleading.
According to him, there was a misleading reports making the rounds in some sections of the media purporting that the suspects who were arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Federal High Court,in Abuja Division, for treason, during the End Bad Governance Protest that was held in August 2024, were remanded in one of the adult Custodial centers in Abuja
He explained that the purported reports had no iota of truth insisting that the service carried out its operations based on best correctional and global practices
"To set records straight, the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 has empowered the Controllers of Corrections as well as Superintendents-in-charge of Custodial Centers not to admit juveniles in facilities meant for adults
"The Act also mandates the Service to reject more intake of inmates where it is apparent that the custodial facility in question is filled to capacity". he stated
The public Relation Officer,further stated that the suspects upon their earlier arraigned in court they were ordered to be remanded in Correctional Custody but we're rejected adding that none of suspects Particularly,the minors (Juveniles) among them were remanded along with the adult in any of the custodial facilities as widely reported in the media.
"The Service wishes to inform the public that the said suspects were rejected and none of the suspects was remanded in adult custodial facilities as insinuated by the said report" ACC Abubakar Umar added.
The Service assures the public that the Nigerian Correctional Service would continue to emphasize professionalism as well as respect for human rights in line with the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Juvenile offenders.
He then implored the general public to continue to build their confidence on the Nigerian Correctional Service (NcoS stressing that the service under the current leadership of the Controller General of the Service (CG) Haliru Nababa would continue to guide against the violation of the Humanright of any inmates across the country.
Furthermore, the general public is enjoined to discountenance the said report as it is not the true position of things.
