The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has dismissed reports alleging that an inmate at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje, Abuja, was robbed of personal valuables worth more than N120 million during a routine search operation.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Service described the allegation as false, misleading, and inconsistent with established procedures governing custodial facilities across the country. The statement was signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, CSC Jane Osuji.
According to the NCoS, the operation carried out at the Kuje custodial centre was a routine security search conducted in line with standard operational guidelines aimed at maintaining security, order, and discipline within the facility. The Service stated that all prohibited items recovered during the exercise were properly processed and documented.
The correctional authorities emphasized that inmates are not permitted to keep unauthorized items or large sums of money while in custody. The Service explained that personal belongings declared by inmates upon admission are officially documented and securely stored until their discharge or lawful release.
Responding directly to the allegation, the NCoS said records from the Kuje facility showed that the items reportedly stolen were neither declared by the inmate upon admission nor recovered during the search operation.
“There is no official record supporting the allegation that the said prohibited valuables were in the custody of the inmate(s) within the facility,” the Service said.
The agency further noted that the items mentioned in the reports, including luxury valuables and cash, fall under prohibited contraband within custodial centres. It added that unauthorized possession of such items by inmates constitutes a violation of correctional regulations.
The NCoS also disclosed that no formal or informal complaint regarding theft or loss had been lodged through official channels by the inmate involved, any other inmate, or their representatives at the custodial centre.
Reaffirming the security situation at the facility, the Service stated that the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre remains calm, peaceful, and secure. It urged members of the public and media organizations to refrain from spreading unverified claims capable of undermining confidence in public institutions.
The statement comes amid heightened scrutiny of security procedures within correctional facilities, where routine searches are regularly conducted to prevent the possession of prohibited items and maintain order among inmates.
