Lagos- The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) on Thursday said it would continue to ensure that prisons in its care were adequately protected.
Mr Biyi Jeje, the Public Relations Officer of the command, made the pledge in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that the command had its internal measures to secure the prisons from the spate of jail breaks witnessed last year.
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He admitted that the prisons were congested but noted that they were built years ago without considering that there would be population explosion.
“Congestion is inevitable but it is not something we cannot cope with because the prison that is supposed to lock 800 prisoners is locking about 1,700.
“Hence, we are clamouring for expansion and it is ongoing.
“The Federal Government is aware of the situation through the NPS national headquarters.
“The situation is so because we cannot reject accused and convicts with valid warrants,’’ Jeje told NAN.
As a protection measure, he said that the prisons in the command had observation towers from where the whole prisons’ surroundings were being monitored.
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“We also collaborate with the Military, Paramilitary, Police, Navy and our Armed Squad, whose presence are easily noticeable in all the prisons. We also have a dog section.
“We have the Directorate of State Security (DSS) whose physical presence is not visible.
“If you go to our armed squad, you will see armed Policemen, Navy and the dogs everywhere in the reformatories,’’ he said.
Jeje, who did not disclose the internal security measures of the command, said that it was working tirelessly for good welfare of the inmates and hope that there would be no jail break in any of the prisons. (NAN)
