The Federal Government says it will construct 3,000-capacity modern custodial centres across the six geo-political zones to forestall attacks on custodial facilities.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made this known while delivering a keynote address at the Ministry’s 2nd Annual strategic retreat, on Thursday in Ilorin.

The theme of the retreat is “Developing Internal Security and Public Safety towards a Five Year Strategic Plan for Accelerated National Development’.

Aregbesola said work on some of the custodial facilities in Kano, Rivers and FCT had reached advanced stages of completion.

The minister said the government had also commenced the re-training of officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), to enable them respond swiftly to external attacks on custodial centres in the country.

He pledged that the ministry would continue to provide the right leadership and policy direction for the service and other agencies under it, to enable them deliver on their mandates.

“Men of the underworld have capitalised on the general insecurity in the country to lead unconscionable attacks on few of our centres.

“Our gallant officers and men of different security agencies have given their all, including sacrificing their lives to protect these centres.

“However, as a Government, we will continue to support the families of the fallen heroes. Already, we have started several steps to achieve that goal.

“It may interest you to know that we have commenced re-training of our officers to respond to these attacks whilst providing more sophisticated weaponry for their use.

“We have invested in the construction of 3,000 modern capacity custodial centres in each of the six geo-political zones. Construction is almost at 85 per cent completion stage in Janguza, Kano state, and will be ready by April, 2022.

“Also, in Karshi, in FCT, 65 per cent completion and Bori, in Rivers at 40 per cent completion.

“All these will no doubt go a long way in decongesting the nation’s custodial centers, ensure good living condition for inmates, and support the implementation of the NCoS Act 2019 with the goal of rehabilitating, reformation, and reintegration of inmates.

“We have captured the bio-metrics of all inmates while the dreadful COVID-19 virus has been kept out of our custodial facilities to date.This is a monumental feat of global acclaim.”

“We are in extraordinary times as a nation. We are facing unique challenges that will define how we live, moving forward.

“As a result, there is no shortage of work to be done, or responsibilities to bear. The Federal Government is rising up to the new challenge posed by these attacks.

“We are tracking the criminals who attacked our facilities and also re-arresting many of the fleeing inmates. We won’t rest until they are all brought back to custody.”

Also, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, explained that the retreat was aimed at securing alignment of the role of the ministry and its agencies, towards achieving President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate on internal security.

Belgore noted that the retreat would serve as a platform for the ministry and its agencies to evolve solutions to the various internal security challenges confronting the nation.

“The enormity of these challenges, portend danger to the social-economic and political development of the country.

“Therefore, the retreat is expected to work out a comprehensive strategy that will tackle the menace of insecurity headlong in the country.

“The theme was carefully selected to bring out central focus which is to indentify the challenges of internal security in the country and the way forward.

“The five year strategic plan was a strategic roadmap to help achieve long term result and to provide lasting solutions to security challenges facing the country,“ he said.