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Tag: NCoS

  • EFCC, NIS, NCoS complete deportation of 192 foreign cybercrime convicts in Lagos

    EFCC, NIS, NCoS complete deportation of 192 foreign cybercrime convicts in Lagos

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), has concluded the deportation of 192 foreign nationals convicted of cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, and related financial crimes in Lagos State.

    The exercise, which began on August 15, 2025, marked the final phase of the repatriation of offenders linked to one of Nigeria’s largest coordinated cybercrime crackdowns. The last batch of 51 convicts—comprising 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian—was deported on October 16, 2025.

    According to EFCC sources, the deported convicts were among 759 suspects arrested during a major sting operation on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The operation, conducted based on credible intelligence, targeted a sophisticated cybercrime and Ponzi scheme syndicate operating under the cover of Genting International Co. Limited.

    Investigations revealed that the convicts were involved in large-scale online fraud, identity theft, and cyber-enabled Ponzi operations, with networks reaching both local and international victims. They were found to have trained Nigerian recruits and managed digital platforms designed to defraud unsuspecting investors.

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    The Federal High Court in Lagos convicted the foreigners on charges bordering on cybercrime, money laundering, and fraudulent investment schemes. Following their sentencing, the court directed their deportation in accordance with Nigerian immigration laws.

    The first batch of 42 convicts—mainly Chinese and Filipino nationals—was deported on August 15, 2025. Subsequent batches were flown out between August and mid-October. The final deportation brings to a close a coordinated inter-agency operation led by the EFCC with support from the NIS and NCoS.

    The deported convicts include nationals from China, the Philippines, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste.

  • 11 inmates undergo surgeries in Kuje facility

    11 inmates undergo surgeries in Kuje facility

    In a major milestone ongoing reforms in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), 11 inmates suffering from hernia have undergone successful surgery at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kuje, FCT Command.

     The surgeries, conducted by a team of in-house medical professionals in the NCoS, underscored the commitment of the present administration to ensure speedy transformation of healthcare delivery in correctional facilities.

    The NCoS, through its Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, praised the visionary leadership of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for the feat.

    He said it was a testament to the unwavering commitment of the administration anchored on Renewed Hope Agenda to upgrading facilities and infrastructure across custodial centres in the country. 

     “Under his stewardship, the health and wellbeing of inmates have become central to the broader Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu— an agenda that recognizes the intrinsic worth of every Nigerian, including those behind bars”, Abubakar, a Deputy Controller of Corrections said in a statement. 

    He said: “This initiative has not been limited to Kuje alone. Across the country, custodial centres are experiencing unprecedented improvements in healthcare systems. 

    “Notably, the Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Janguza, in Kano State, along with several other facilities nationwide, have seen substantial upgrades to their hospitals and medical units, ensuring inmates receive dignified and adequate medical attention.”

    Read Also: Normalcy returns to Kuje after violent clash

    According to  him, the Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, along with the entire management team, express profound gratitude to the Minister for his proactive stance and humanitarian approach to correctional administration. 

    “These developments are a testament of a transformative era where rehabilitation, humane treatment, and reintegration of inmates are prioritized as core mandates of the correctional system.

    “The Nigerian Correctional Service remains steadfast in its commitment to providing comprehensive healthcare and promoting the welfare of all persons in custody, while contributing meaningfully to the vision of a more just, compassionate, and secure society,” Abubakar stated. 

  • Ilesa prison break: NCoS yet to brief us – Osun Police

    Ilesa prison break: NCoS yet to brief us – Osun Police

    The Police Command in Osun is yet to receive any official communication on the escape of seven inmates from the the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, Osun.

    The Police Spokesperson for the command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the police state command had not been officially briefed or informed of the incident by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

    “We heard also about the escape, but there is no official report made to the police by the NCoS.

    “Our Intel revealed to us that actually, there was an escape.

    “The cause of the escape is what we don’t know because our men have gone there.

    “From the intelligience report we got, there is nothing we can lay hands on that made the inmates escape.

    “The NCoS should inform us about what actually happened,” he said

    Ojelabi said: “the police is out to protect lives and property and any criminal we see, we will apprehend”.

    NAN reports that the NCoS declared seven inmates missing as a result of rain that damaged the security perimeter of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa in the early hours of Tuesday.

    The heavy rainfall around 2:00 a.m. caused a breach in the facility’s structure, allowing the inmates to escape.

    Read Also: Osun police confirm six dead in APC-PDP clash over LGA control 

    Confirming the development, the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, in a statement signed by Umar Abubakar, Deputy Controller of Corrections, Public Relations Officer, on Tuesday, ordered an immediate investigation into the incident and assured the public that efforts were underway to return the escapees to custody.

    “The service is working closely with sister security agencies as well as community leaders to recapture the escapees and bring them back to custody,” the NCoS said in the statement.

    “However, the Service solicits the cooperation and support of the public in providing information that may lead to the recapture of the fleeing inmates.”

    Authorities have since launched a manhunt to recapture the fugitives. 

    (NAN) 

  • We have no kidnapped victim in our custody, says NCoS

    We have no kidnapped victim in our custody, says NCoS

    The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has strongly denied reports linking it to the alleged kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl in Rivers state, describing the claims as false, malicious, and a figment of the writer’s imagination.

    In a statement issued by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Umar Abubakar, the NCoS said the allegation was aimed at misleading the public and tarnishing the image of the Service.

    Abubakar stated that a thorough check of available records showed no inmate named “Chi Boy” is in custody at any facility under the Enugu State Command. 

    He added that the failure to provide the full names of the alleged inmate or the kidnapped victim further undermines the credibility of the report.

    He emphasized that the NCoS is unaware of any kidnapping incident linked to its facilities in Rivers State or any other command, as claimed in a circulating press statement and viral video.

    Abubakar also clarified that no investigative agency has tracked any suspected kidnapper to any correctional facility in either Enugu or Delta State Commands.

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    “Therefore, the Service is not in the position to confirm payment of ransom or whatsoever transaction as alleged in the fictitious report and video.

    “The Service has no role in the said kidnap story, and as a security organization, it does not operate in isolation; rather, it partners with sister agencies to ensure adequate security. The Service will never turn down requests for investigation activities from sister agencies,” Umar said. 

  • Prisoners on death row rise by 98 in six months, NCoS Acting CG reveals

    Prisoners on death row rise by 98 in six months, NCoS Acting CG reveals

    The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed that the number of prisoners on death row had risen from 3,590 in September 2024 to 3,688 in March 2025, representing a 2.73 percent increase or 98 prisoners within six months.

    The NCoS also sought strategic collaboration with the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS); Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to speed up the wheel of justice in the country.

    The Acting Controller-General of NCoS), Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche revealed the figure while the Senate Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole was screening him for the position of substantive controller-general.

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    Nwakuche was accompanied by his Principal Staff Officer, Mr. Godwin Okosun; Deputy Controller of Corrections of NCoS, Mr. Babatunde Ogundare; Acting Controller-General of NCoS, Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche; and Assistant Controller General of NCoS, Mr. Ahmed Adagiri, among others, to the screening exercise.

    Responding to questions at the screening, Nwakuche disclosed that no fewer than 3,688 inmates are currently on death row in the country compared to 3,590 recorded in September 2024.

    He explained the major challenges facing the correctional service in the country, revealing that the majority of inmates “are currently awaiting trials. That is our major headache we are trying to address on a daily basis.

    The acting comptroller-general said: “Inmates on death row are now 3688 from 3,590 in September 2024. State governors are part of our challenges. They refuse to execute inmates on the death row; neither do they commute their death sentence to life imprisonment.

    “If they commute death sentences to life imprisonment, it is easier for us to distribute them to rural correctional facilities which are not as congested as those in urban correctional facilities.

    “This is because the issue of congestion is a major urban phenomenon. Our correctional facilities in urban centres are more congested than those in rural areas. If we commute them to life sentencing, we will be able to distribute them equitably,” the acting comptroller-general.

    The acting comptroller-general pledged to collaborate with other security agencies more strategically to ensure that the issues of awaiting trials are permanently resolved so that the prison can be decongested.

  • NCoS, NSCDC deepen collaboration to prevent jailbreaks 

    NCoS, NSCDC deepen collaboration to prevent jailbreaks 

    The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have taken steps to deepen their collaboration aimed at preventing external attacks on custodial centres and forestalling jailbreaks in the country. 

    To this end, custodial centres across the country will witness the presence of more NSCDC personnel, as the Commandant General of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Audi, has approved that State Commanders deploy additional personnel to custodial centres in their respective states. 

    Audi, who recalled the killing of NSCDC personnel at Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja a few years ago during midnight attacks by terrorists, noted that the dynamics of maintaining peace and security around custodial centres have changed, given that Nigeria now faces an asymmetric war. 

    He described the death of the NSCDC officer as painful, stating that the officer was always fearless, bold, and committed to his call of duty. 

    Read Also; Oyetola tasks NPA, NIMASA, NIWA, others to prioritise 2025 budget 

    The NSCDC boss spoke when he granted an audience to the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, at the headquarters of the Corps in Abuja. 

    The NSCDC boss remarked that collaboration, understanding, and commitment are the keys to keeping the nation’s custodial centres safe, asserting that no single paramilitary institution can operate alone without synergy with others. 

    He praised Acting CG Sylvester Nwakuche for visiting him to strategise on additional security measures to be adopted to ensure the safety of inmates in custodial centres, expressing that he is more comfortable working with CG Nwakuche as a coursemate from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos. 

    The Acting Comptroller General of the NCoS stated that the visit became necessary considering their shared experiences in the professional and academic fields, asserting that he would require guidance from the NSCDC boss to navigate the complex demands of ensuring the safety and security of Nigerian prison inmates. 

    Nwakuche expressed regret over the loss of NSCDC personnel at the Kuje Custodial Centre during a midnight attack some years ago, noting that the sacrifice made by the officer will never be in vain. 

    He acknowledged the ongoing protection of custodial facilities in the country by NSCDC operatives as a morale booster, praying that such sacrifices should be sustained and improved upon through synergy. 

    He commended the administration of the NSCDC under the leadership of Dr Audi, noting that NSCDC’s fortunes within the nation’s security architecture have turned around with visible and remarkable achievements. 

    Nwakuche stated that upon his appointment as Acting Controller-General of Corrections by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 15th December 2024, he decided to visit the NSCDC and other institutions to align his programmes with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration and to seek support from sister security agencies in the country. 

  • NCoS seeks intervention of IG, CJN, others on 48,000 inmates

    NCoS seeks intervention of IG, CJN, others on 48,000 inmates

    The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has sought the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), the Attorney-General of the Federation, state Chief Judges and other stakeholders on the fate of over 48,900 inmates in various custodial centres across the country.

    The NCoS said the fate of the inmates, who are awaiting trials, remained a major concern to the Service, especially on their upkeep, conditions of custodial centres and their security.

    The Acting Controller-General of the Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, said it had become imperative for stakeholders to find lasting solutions to them so as not to jeopardise the  reforms in the Service, adding that speedy and impeded trials of the inmates.

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    Nwakuche, who made the remarks at headquarters of the Service yesterday while addressing senior officers, pledged to tackle the backlog of awaiting trial cases in the Correctional Service centres.

    “Keeping inmates in secure custody is a premium mandate that should never be compromised. Our part within the internal security architecture of keeping people in safe and humane custody must be kept.

    “The issues of escapes, riots and attacks that more often than not are results of indolence should never be allowed to repeat themselves.

    “The consequences of such grievous offences are severe and should be avoided at all costs. You have been warned. Take this message to the staff under you,” the Acting Controller-General said.

    He vowed that under his watch improved custodial facility management would be witnessed across the country, while adequate attention would be paid to the security of inmates.

  • Protests: Custodial centres are red zones, NCoS warns

    Protests: Custodial centres are red zones, NCoS warns

    The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has warned that custodial centres across the country remained red zones (no go areas) for would be trespassers, following the planned nationwide protests by some interest groups. 

    The Service warned that any person or group of persons who have no business whatsoever within and around the vicinities of the centres should steer clear. 

    According to a statement from the public relations officer of the Service, Abubakar Umar, the NCoS said adequate security arrangements have been made to prevent all the nation’s Custodial centres from being defiled during and after the protests.

    The statement reads: “In view of the purported national protest scheduled to hold on the first day of August 2024, the Nigerian Correctional Service wishes to inform the public that the Custodial Centres have been designated as red zones; therefore, any person or group of persons who have no business whatsoever, should steer clear.

    “Furthermore, the Service wishes to enjoin the public that Custodial and Non-custodial Centres are critical national assets which are germane to public safety as well as national security.

    “Tampering with or attacking them will lead to breakdown of law and order, and further exacerbate the security of the society in general.

    The Service strongly advises all members of the public to join hands with the Service to ensure the protection of correctional facilities . 

    Read Also: NCoS arrests female drug trafficker

     “Adequate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure that no correctional facility is defiled. The Ministry of Interior Joint Taskforce (MOIJTF) has been activated to provide extra security in and around custodial facilities nationwide.

    “The Controller General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa appreciates the continuous cooperation of members of the public in ensuring peace and tranquility in and around correctional centres nationwide.

    ” The public is also advised to report any suspicious plan or movement to our email: info@corrections.gov.ng or to our official website: www.corrections.gov.ng  or call 09060004598 or 08075050006 directly.”

  • NCoS arrests female drug trafficker

    NCoS arrests female drug trafficker

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has apprehended a female trafficker, Precious Yusuf, for allegedly pushing drug to inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre Kuje.

    According to a statement by the Command Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Mr Samson Duza, the lady came into the Kuje centre on July 9 disguised as a visitor to an inmate.

    Duza said it was during the usual routine search by officers of the Centre that items suspected to be Indian hemp, and other dangerous drugs concealed in food packs in a carton were recovered from her.

    “The culprit confessed to have been sent to bring the illicit drugs to an inmate of the custodial centre,” Duza said.

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    He quoted the Controller, FCT Command, Ibrahim Usman as ordering that the suspect be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

    The Controller warned drug peddlers to stay away from NCoS  facilities, saying the full wrath of the law would be visited on anybody trying to smuggle illicit substances into the custodial centres.

    Usman said his personnel were not only on alert to deflate any attempts to smuggle drugs into any facilities, but would deal decisively with perpetrators of such act no matter the guise on which they hatch their plot.

    He advised well-meaning Nigerians to support the Service in its reformatory pursuit to keep the society safe, assuring the public of safe custody of inmates.

  • NCoS releases names of 18 out of96 fleeing inmates of Suleja facility

    NCoS releases names of 18 out of96 fleeing inmates of Suleja facility

    The authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) have released the names of 18 fleeing inmates of the Suleja medium security custodial centre out of 119 who fled the facility in April this year.

    The inmates fled the facility following torrential rainfall which destroyed its perimeter fence. About 23 of them were later recaptured in different places, but thereafter, the authorities kept mum over the matter for security reasons.

    Our correspondent gathered that the release of the names 18 inmates was necessitated by efforts to speed up their recapture by security agents anywhere following what was considered a “top priority “.

    Read Also: NCoS releases identities of 18 out of 96 fleeing Suleja inmates

    The released database of inmates includes detailed information about them to assist law enforcement agents to recapture the escapees as well as make it possible for members of the public to identify them and report to security agents.

    The escape of the 119 inmates from the Suleja Centre in Niger State created panic within the environment.

    But the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who on the same day visited the facility, assured residents of the area not to panic as security surveillance would be mounted to recapture the fleeing inmates.

    Similarly,  the spokesman of the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS,  Abubakar Umar at a security briefing in Abuja assured that the fleeing inmates would be recaptured. He said about 23 of them had been recaptured, and assured that at the right time the biometric details of the fleeing inmates would be released to the public.

    Our correspondent, however, gathered from the website of NCoS that the service has released the details of only 18 out of the remaining 96 fleeing inmates.

    Their names are Ogbonna Kingsley, Auwal Mohammed, Mustapha Ibrahim, Suleiman Sani, Raphael Kingsley, Abdullahi Babangida, Idris Bashir, Umar Mustapha, and Ayuba Obidience.

    And the others are Lamido Gambo, Garba Fidelis, Mohammed Jibrin, Sylvester Allison, Albert Israel, Edoga Okwudili, Olaiya Stephen, Audo Usman and Ibrahim Aminu.