Aregbesola on COVID-19: While trying to keep inmates safe, we don’t want to jeopardise security

Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior, says the ministry is doing everything necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus into Nigerian prisons.

On Tuesday, some prisoners at the Kaduna correctional centre had attempted a jailbreak over fears of contracting COVID-19.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Aregbesola said while considering the decongestion of prisons and making efforts to keep inmates safe from the coronavirus, the government is also being careful not to endanger the security of the nation.

He also explained the reason for the “disturbance” at the Kaduna correctional centre.

“The congested custodial facilities are in some of our urban centres, not all urban centres though, they are in areas where you have a huge population of people and understandably those who have the cause to be detained are more than the facilities we have, particularly the awaiting-trial persons,” Aregbesola said.

“I can assure you that all efforts, all actions required to ensure that there’s no occurrence or spread of COVID-19 in any of those custodial centres, are being made.

“I spoke about Kaduna yesterday; there was a mild disturbance in Kaduna yesterday and it was put under control. It happened because the inmates in the condemned section were anxious to know the outcome of our efforts to decongest some of the centres and they became agitated.

“It was put down without any casualty and I want to believe that, having been handled, information has gone round the commands to appraise the inmates of the efforts we are making, to see that the approval given by the president is effected very soon.

“I must add that what we are trying to do cannot be done by us as the federal government alone. More than 80% of the inmates in the awaiting trial group are from the states; they are state offenders.

“We are, therefore, working with the state governments, along with our own system, to break down the profile basis of incarceration in terms of detention and several other factors to ensure that if at all people will be released, they will be released without jeopardising the security of the nation. We are, therefore, careful and sensitive on the steps we take, even with the threats of COVID-19.”