THE Federal Government has elevated six Assistant Controller Generals of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) to the rank of Deputy Controller General.
The newly promoted Deputy Controllers-General (DCGs) will head the six broad administrative divisions called Directorates for efficient management of the Service.
The Deputy Controllers-General will also constitute together with the Controller-General the highest decision-making body in the Administration of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
A statement released on Saturday, May 20 by the spokesperson of NCoS, Umar Abubakar, stated that the promotion was done by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board.
The promoted superior officers are Abdullahi Magaji, Ahmadu Adamu, Timothy Tinuoye, Marylaurene Melchizedek, Jerome Akinrujomu and Joseph Esu Usendiah.
Speaking on the development, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola urged the officers to redouble efforts to meet the mandates of the Service.
Aregbesola stressed the need for the the promoted officers to bring their expertise and experiences to bear so as to improve the fortunes of correctional administration in Nigeria.
The promoted DCGs have since been deployed to head various directorates of the Service
The ICIR reported that the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) recently disclosed that there are about 3,298 inmates on death row in Nigerian prisons.
NCos public relations officer, Umar Abubakar, said this in an interview with NAN on April 19.
The prisons spokesman blamed the high number of death row inmates on the hesitation of state governors to sign death warrants.
According to him, death sentences are not always carried out due to the governors’ reluctance to sign warrants for execution of condemned prisoners.
“As of today, we have a total of 3,298 inmates on death row. They constitute about 4.5 per cent of the total number of inmates in our various custodial centres nationwide,” he said.
“They are awaiting the hangman’s noose in our custodial centres after being found guilty of capital offences.”
However, Umar further explained that sometimes execution of condemned prisoners is delayed because the concerned cases are still being appealed at higher courts.
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