The Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, has led the Service’s management team to destroy a total of 1,167 confiscated mobile phones and other prohibited items recovered from custodial centres across the country.
According to a statement signed by Service’s PRO, DCI Jane Osuji, the exercise marked a decisive escalation in the Service’s ongoing nationwide crackdown on contraband and a firm commitment to strengthening security, discipline, and institutional integrity within correctional facilities.
The statement said the destroyed items recovered over the past eight months through coordinated search operations include mobile phones, SIM cards, earpieces, chargers, and other unauthorized materials. These operations were conducted in strict compliance with extant laws and operational guidelines.
Addressing officers, stakeholders and the media, the Controller-General described the exercise as “a clear statement of resolve” to eliminate all threats to the safety and order of custodial centres.
“A total of 1,167 mobile phones, comprising Android devices, iPhones, and button phones, alongside other prohibited items are being destroyed today. In addition, the sum of ₦2,569,000, recovered as smuggled cash from inmates, has been remitted to the appropriate government treasury in line with extant financial regulations. These recoveries underscore both the scale of the challenge and the seriousness of our response,” he stated.
Reaffirming the Service’s zero-tolerance policy on indiscipline, the Controller-General warned that contraband trafficking cannot occur without internal compromise.
“Any officer who aids, ignores, or facilitates the smuggling of prohibited items is in direct violation of their oath and a threat to the integrity of this Service. Anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.
He further disclosed that 147 personnel have already been sanctioned for various acts of misconduct related to contraband trafficking, underscoring the Service’s firm stance on accountability.
The Controller-General also highlighted the role of external collaborators, noting that some individuals attempt to smuggle prohibited items through concealment in food, clothing, and other means, often seeking to compromise personnel.
“Let me be unequivocal: anyone involved in smuggling contraband into our custodial centres, whether as a visitor, contractor, or collaborator, will face severe consequences. These are not minor infractions but deliberate acts that undermine national security and the administration of justice,” he added.
He revealed that several offenders have been apprehended and handed over to relevant law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), for prosecution.
As part of strengthened enforcement measures, the Service has established a dedicated Special Crack Team to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance, and targeted operations nationwide.
The Controller-General commended officers involved in the operations for their professionalism and vigilance, while reaffirming the Service’s commitment to deploying modern surveillance technologies, enhancing inter-agency collaboration, and sustaining reforms aimed at restoring order within custodial centres.
He emphasized that the crackdown forms part of broader efforts to reinforce the core mandate of corrections; reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration, warning that contrabands undermines these objectives by enabling criminal networks and fueling insecurity within facilities.