Federal Government has inaugurated an independent investigative panel to probe allegations of corruption and gross violations of standard operating procedures within the Nigeria Correctional Service NCoS.
Gatekeepers News reports that the committee was inaugurated by Minister of Interior and Chairman of Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on Monday in Abuja.
The minister said the committee must also look at the recent allegation that some correctional service personnel had provided an alternative accommodation for Bobrisky.
Tunji-Ojo noted that the panel is necessary to sanitize the Service towards attaining transparency and accountability.
This comes after the minister suspended several officers overseeing the Maximum and Minimum Custodial Centres in Kirikiri, Lagos State, following allegations of misconduct involving Bobrisky.
Tunji-Ojo noted the need for a holistic approach to unravel the issues being investigated, through empirical and fact-finding processes that, will proffer lasting solutions to the challenges.
He said, “We want to reform the correctional service. Your core responsibility is to investigate specific allegations of corruption, torture, and mistreatment of inmates by correctional officers, especially the immediate one on Bobrisky which I expect to be out in 2 weeks.”
The Minister charged the committee which is headed by Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, to uphold justice, without fear or favour to any party.
The minister said, “We will rely on your legal guidance to be sure that whatever we do is in line with the law of the land. We will rely on you to be able to come up with a way forward, as well as facts that would be made public to Nigerians. I want to say this very clearly, nobody will be shielded. Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be shielded.”
Tunji-Ojo proposed medium and long-term solutions to prevent future occurrences and further charged the committee to identify systemic issues contributing to violations within the service.
The minister also recommended concrete actions for immediate redress and policy reforms to the committee.
The Chairperson of the Investigation Panel on his part, said that the committee would do their best to deliver on the mandate.
The committee members include Omotese Eva, Director of Legal; Nasir Usman, Director of Joint Services; Dr. Uju Agomoh, President of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) who is a former Board Member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) and Dr. Ikechukwu Ezeugo, Human Rights Radio consultant, a Forensic Researcher and Social Impact Expert with over 27 years experience in corporate leadership.”
