The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has destroyed 1,167 mobile phones and other prohibited items recovered from custodial centres nationwide.
Sylvester Nwakuche, controller-general of corrections, disclosed this on Tuesday, noting that the items were seized over the past eight months.
“Before you are prohibited items recovered from custodial centres across the country within the last eight months. These include mobile phones, SIM cards, and other unauthorised materials,” he said.
Nwakuche stressed that the presence of such items undermines security within correctional centres.
“Their presence within our facilities is unacceptable. They compromise security, disrupt discipline, and create channels through which criminal activities are sustained from within custody.
“A total of 1,167 mobile phones—comprising Android devices, iPhones, and button phones—alongside various earpieces, chargers, and other unauthorised materials will be destroyed today. These recoveries underscore both the scale of the challenge and the seriousness of our response,” he added.
He further revealed that ₦2.57 million recovered during the operations had been remitted to government coffers in line with financial regulations.
The controller-general also disclosed that 147 personnel had been sanctioned for misconduct linked to contraband smuggling.
“Within the Service, we have matched policy with action. So far, 147 staff members have been sanctioned for various acts of misconduct, including complicity in contraband trafficking. This underscores a simple truth: accountability is no longer negotiable. The Service will not shield anyone who undermines its mandate,” he said.
According to him, several external collaborators have been arrested and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for prosecution, with some already facing trial.
Nwakuche added that a special crack team had been established to strengthen intelligence gathering, surveillance, and enforcement, leading to the recovery of the items.
He warned both personnel and the public against smuggling contraband into correctional facilities.
“To members of the public, families of inmates, and all who interact with our facilities, I offer this caution: do not attempt to breach our systems or influence our personnel. Do not conceal prohibited items in food, clothing, or personal effects. The consequences will be severe, and enforcement will be uncompromising,” he said.