Senate President Godswill Akpabio has asserted that Nigeria has experienced more jailbreaks since the name of the Nigerian Prison Service was changed to Nigerian Correctional Service.
Akpabio made this statement on Tuesday during a debate on the floor of the Senate concerning two pieces of legislation slated for concurrence.
Plateau News reports that the bills for concurrence included one to repeal and enact the law establishing Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and another to repeal the Fire Service Act and enact Federal Fire and Rescue Service.
During the plenary, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro argued against changing the name, stating that the “rescue component” is already inherent in the fire service’s responsibilities. “I do not think there is a need for that,” Moro remarked.
However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed a different perspective, emphasizing the importance of examining such laws.
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“This is something to be looked at. When you are convicted, you are supposed to learn a skill,” Akpabio remarked. “But since we changed the name to the correctional centre, there have been more jailbreaks.”
Plateau News notes that the name change from the Nigerian Prison Service to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) occurred in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The most recent escape of inmates from correctional centers was recorded on April 25, 2024, when 119 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State.