Nigerian corrections service and army strengthen prison-security cooperation

The Nigerian Correctional Service and the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps have agreed to strengthen cooperation on intelligence sharing and prison security as security threats become more complex.

The agreement was reached in Abuja during a visit by a military delegation led by Major General R.E. Hedima, the Chief of Military Intelligence (Army), to the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche. Nwakuche said stronger cooperation, timely intelligence and coordinated action among security agencies had become increasingly necessary.

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Security is a shared national responsibility. The challenges confronting custodial centres have become increasingly complex, making stronger collaboration, timely intelligence sharing and coordinated action among security agencies more imperative than ever.

The corrections service currently oversees roughly 81,000 inmates nationwide. About 65% are awaiting trial, and more than 4,000 are on death row. Nwakuche also highlighted investments in inmate reformation, including vocational training, formal education, juvenile programmes and deradicalisation initiatives for violent extremists.

Hedima said the delegation wanted to consolidate ties between the Army Intelligence Corps and the corrections service and identify practical ways to improve joint operations. He proposed joint institutional training, specialised intelligence focal officers and the continuous exchange of actionable, time-sensitive intelligence. Nwakuche welcomed the proposals and said deeper cooperation would strengthen custodial security.

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Our adversaries are constantly evolving. Our response must equally evolve through stronger partnerships, better intelligence coordination and sustained collaboration among security agencies.