The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service to redeploy prison officers who ‘cannot shoot to kill’ to female prisons.
Aregbesola gave the directive on Monday, December 5, while unveiling of the new service logo and uniforms and the commissioning of a new staff quarters, ICT infrastructure and operational vehicles at the Service headquarters.
The Minister who rewarded twenty-five personnel who displayed gallantry to repel a bandits’ attack on a custodial facility in Niger State at the event, commended them for their act of gallantry. He also expressed dismay that some personnel in other custodial centres chickened out when faced with attacks by criminals.
Aregbesola stated that the custodial centres are now red zones and personnel should shoot to kill whenever an intruder attempts an attack.
He said;
“Riffles are not for play, they’re meant to kill criminals. Any officer that cannot shoot to kill, any lilly-liver officer that cannot shoot on the head should be trained or replaced.
“Criminals should not sustain injuries. Those people who cannot shoot to kill, if you don’t want to dismiss them, redeploy them to female prisons.
“People who will be in maximum and medium custodial centres must be tough.
“We’ve had too many embarrassing attacks and we must put a stop to it.”
He also said that most of those wrecking havoc in the South-East region of the country are escapees from the custodial centres in Imo State.
The Minister further added that anyone who tries to attack any custodial centre should pay the supreme price going forward.