The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday, warned the correctional officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service to ensure that the inmates are comfortable, clean, hygienic and of good health.
Mr Aregbesola gave the warning in Abuja when the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Georgina Ehuriah, officially handed over to him.
According to him, although the correctional service is not intended to be a “five-star hotel”, it should, nevertheless, be made comfortable for inmates.
“No one is advocating that it must be Transcorp Hilton but it must be comfortable, clean, hygienic and promote good health.
“Inmates should be well fed and taken care of, their dignity should be protected and should not be abused,” he said.
He added that an abused and brutalized inmate was a potential threat to the society which should not be allowed to happen.
The minister explained that the correctional facilities were intended to reform inmates for proper reintegration into society.
”An inmate must leave the correction centre, a better person, an abused and brutalized inmate is a threat to the society and a bad social missile that should not be allowed to happen. So henceforth, this should stop,” he said.
Also, he expressed commitment to delivering on the three core mandates of the current administration for the ministry.
While identifying these as security, economy, and transparency, he urged all agencies under the ministry and staff to key into the mandate.