Don’t discriminate against ex-inmates, FG urges Nigerians

The Federal Government on Friday urged Nigerians to accept ex-offenders, stressing that the inmates have gone through various reformatory and rehabilitation programs.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Oluwatoyin Akinlade, stated this during the familiarisation tour to the Nigerian Correctional Service Headquarters in Abuja.

Oluwatoyin, in a statement signed by the NCoS Spokesperson, Abubakar Umar, expressed satisfaction over the vocational skills, reformatory and rehabilitation programmes the inmates received while in custody.

�My dream for Nigerian Correctional Service is that no offender will go back the same or worse.

“Akinlade charged the public to stop stigmatising ex-offenders; rather, they should assist in their re-integration to society as they have a lot to offer to the development of society.

“She said Correctional staff are doing a lot to see that inmates don�t go back to the society the same way they came, she enjoined members of the public to complement the efforts of NCoS,” the statement read in part.

Speaking on the welfare of staff, Akinlade, said, “If you do not take care of the correctors, you will not get corrections. No morals, no result.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the Controller General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa, enumerated the challenges and prospects of the service and reiterated his commitment to the welfare of both inmates and staff.