Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola has announced that although some escaped Kuje prisoners have been recovered with the help of the police, many were still at large.
The minister said this at the fourth edition of the ‘President Muhammadu Buhari Administration Scorecard’ press conference held at the National Press Center in Abuja on Tuesday, moderated by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
Aregbesola, who was fielding questions from members of the press at the event, noted that although information on the investigation into the July 5 Kuje prison attack could not be made public, the findings were submitted to the office of the President, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu. Buhari (retd.), for further action. He added that it would be difficult to attack any correctional service facility.
“We have research degrees. We have completed our investigation in the ministry and the (correctional) service, and we have sent the results of that investigation to the president. It’s a matter of safety; We do not disclose all security information. I don’t say it out loud because it’s security.
But all I will say is this; with the police and other security agencies, we have nabbed some fugitives, but a large number are still at large. What we are very sure of is that it will no longer be easy for anyone to breach our facilities.”
Meanwhile, in a presentation on the ministry’s achievements, Aregbesola revealed that the 3,000 capacity Janguza care facility in Kano which was under construction was about 90% complete. He also commended the Nigerian Correctional Service for being one of the few correctional institutions in the world to survive the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our surveillance facility in Janguza Village, Kano is 90% complete. But by January 2023, I will be doing a media tour under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Information. It’s nice to see, I don’t think anything like this exists anywhere in Africa, North and South. An innovative addition one is the renovation of Nigeria’s Custody Facilities.
“I am proud to say that our correctional service is one of the few, that we are one of the correctional services in the world, in the whole period we have not registered an infection of Covid-19 and it tells you the level of commitment. the professionalism that we have in our care facilities and the health system. Many other things you can blame us, not the health. We are proud to say that our health facility is one of the best in care centers.”
When asked what the ministry’s greatest achievement is, Aregbesola stated that the ministry’s greatest achievement has been ensuring the internal security of the country, noting that since this administration came into power in 2015, there were no communities previously occupied by insurgents. not recovered
“There is no insurgent stronghold in Nigeria, that is the greatest achievement of internal security. Most people are comfortable with that. At the coming of this administration in 2015, the local governments were under insurgents in numbers in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, but today, there is not a square inch of Nigerian soil that is under insurgents. under control. It’s our administration’s greatest achievement in homeland security. Yes, there are still challenges here and there, but tell me any nation that doesn’t have security challenges, none.”
Addressing the issues of passport production and speedy distribution, Aregbesola said local passport production will begin before the end of the Buhari-led administration. As for distribution, he said there is no way passports can be issued in 24 hours, noting that the necessary background checks would take weeks.
However, he added that there were enough booklets to be given to those who applied for passports both in Nigeria and abroad and that the ministry had already issued 1.2 million passports.
On the activities of the Federal Fire Service, the minister stated that his administration received a capital expenditure budget of N23.3 billion naira, which is five times what the service received between the years of its inception in 1901 and 2014.
He also stated that the civil defense, immigration, prisons and fire commissions promoted 18,000 officers and hired a total of 33,425 officers since the administration took over in 2015.
The PMB administration scorecard series is expected to continue with the one billed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mahmood Abubakar for November 28, and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Niyi Adebayo, scheduled for December 1, 2022.
