FG Announces Arrest Of Interpol, Releases Over 4,082 Inmates, Saves N1Billion
The federal government has announced the arrest of two wanted suspects on Interpol’s red list in the country. The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the arrest during the 5th edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Tunji-Ojo while stating that these arrests mark a change in the country’s approach to law enforcement and border security, said
the arrests demonstrate the progress the country is making in the security of its borders.
He said: “Just two days ago, someone on the red list of Interpol was apprehended in Abuja. Last week, another individual on the same list was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.”
He noted that this development signaled a shift in security in the country and further shows that “it is not business as usual.”
The minister stressed the importance of securing the nation’s borders, stating, “A secured border is a safe nation. Show me a country that cannot secure its borders, and I will show you a nation that can never be safe.”
The minister also noted significant improvements in border control have been made, with new posts and officers now stationed to regulate migration.
He said that the Nigerian Immigration Service now operates a command and control centre that integrates real-time security data from around the world.
The Minister also disclosed that over 4,082 inmates have been released as part of moves to reduce the high number of minor offenders and alleviate congestion in correctional centres across the country, which has allowed the nation to save more than N1 billion annually in expenses.
Tunji-Ojo equally disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has approved an increase in inmates’ feeding allowances and, as one of its signature impacts, has approved the relocation of 29 correctional centres that are within residential areas due to urban development.
While stating that a correctional centre should be located 100 metres away from residential buildings, the minister noted that the correctional centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, is opposite the Government House, while Suleja Prison is now within the community.
He disclosed that over 3,000 buildings in more than 240 correctional centres are being renovated, noting that some of these centres were built over 50 years ago. At the same time, one was constructed in 1914, the year of Nigeria’s amalgamation.
He said: “If we know where we were, we will appreciate where we are now.”
The minister said that during the present administration, two jailbreaks were recorded but no jail attacks, explaining that the inmates organise a jailbreak, while a jail attack is orchestrated from outside the prison.
He, however, noted that the ministry had implemented a proactive policing system, which enabled the inmates in Suleja Prison who escaped after a heavy flood felled their fence to be rearrested within 48 hours.
He said that over 2,125 illegal mining sites have been destroyed, and the NSCDC has trained over 10,000 agro rangers in the agriculture sector.
He noted that the Agro Rangers unit aims to safeguard farmlands, protect farmers from attacks, mediate conflicts between farmers and herders, and prevent the malicious destruction of farmlands, stating that the initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).
He lamented that the present administration was faced with an uphill task of reviving the country’s security architecture, as internal security was manned by the military, whereas it should be the duty of the paramilitary.
He noted that this is fast changing as President Bola Tinubu has approved training and equipping the paramilitary officers to function properly.
