NCoS, Army Intelligence Deepen Partnership to Strengthen Custodial Security
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps (NAIC) have moved to deepen intelligence-sharing and operational collaboration as part of efforts to strengthen custodial security and respond more effectively to evolving national security threats.
The development was contained in a statement signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections JN Osuji, on behalf of the Nigerian Correctional Service, following a courtesy visit by the Chief of Military Intelligence (Army), Major General RE Hedima, to the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, at the NCoS National Headquarters in Abuja.
Nwakuche reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps, stressing that closer inter-agency cooperation had become imperative in view of the increasingly complex security challenges confronting custodial centres across the country.
“Security is a shared national responsibility,” the Controller-General said. “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 Controller-General disclosed that the NCoS currently manages an inmate population of about 81,000 across the country, with approximately 65 per cent awaiting trial and more than 4,000 inmates on death row.
He said the figures underscored the enormous responsibility on correctional personnel to protect custodial facilities, safeguard lives and prevent security breaches, while paying tribute to officers and men who had made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Nwakuche also stressed that custodial security goes beyond physical protection of correctional facilities, noting that inmate reformation and rehabilitation remained an important component of national security.
According to him, the Service has sustained investments in education, vocational skills acquisition, deradicalisation programmes for violent extremists and specialised interventions for juveniles in Borstal Training Institutions.
Earlier, Major General Hedima said the visit was aimed at consolidating the longstanding relationship between the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps and the Nigerian Correctional Service, while identifying practical measures to enhance security cooperation.
Hedima commended the NCoS for its critical role in securing custodial centres and reforming offenders, while acknowledging the dedication of correctional officers operating under increasingly challenging security conditions.
He called for the institutionalisation of joint training for personnel of both agencies, the designation of intelligence focal officers and the prompt exchange of actionable and time-sensitive intelligence.
“Our adversaries are constantly evolving,” Hedima said. “Our response must equally evolve through stronger partnerships, better intelligence coordination and sustained collaboration among security agencies.”
Responding, Nwakuche welcomed the proposals, expressing optimism that enhanced cooperation between the two institutions would improve intelligence coordination, strengthen custodial security and contribute to Nigeria’s broader security architecture.
The meeting ended with the exchange of souvenirs and a renewed commitment by both institutions to deepen collaboration in the interest of national peace, public safety and the protection of Nigeria’s correctional system.
