The Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Nwakuche, has attributed the repeated jailbreaks to the lackadaisical attitude of some officers, warning that negligence will no longer be tolerated.

Naijaonpoint reports that the warning follows a series of jailbreaks that have rocked custodial centres across the country.

Data compiled from media reports, the NCoS website, and other sources showed that at least 6,700 inmates escaped from 13 correctional facilities between 2019 and 2025, with over 4,600 still at large.

According to reports, many of the escapees were awaiting trial for offences such as terrorism and armed robbery, and fewer than 2,000 escapees have been recaptured.

Speaking during the decoration of 30 newly promoted Assistant Controllers-General of Corrections in Abuja on Friday, Nwakuche condemned the lackadaisical attitude of some zonal coordinators, state controllers, and custodial centre officers, which he said had contributed to repeated security breaches.

Nwakuche warned that officers found negligent in their duties will face sanctions and reminded the newly promoted officers that their elevation was not merely ceremonial but a call to provide disciplined, proactive leadership at a time when public confidence in the correctional system is fragile.

He said, “It is obvious that our Zonal Coordinators, State Controllers, and Officers-in-Charge of Custodial Centres have abdicated their duties. This is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated. Any further abdication of responsibilities will surely attract the big stick.”

Nwakuche reaffirmed the service’s commitment to the vision outlined in the NCoS Act 2019, which shifts the emphasis from punitive incarceration to rehabilitation and reintegration.

He also praised President Bola Tinubu and Minister of the Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for their continued support in reforming the service and improving conditions for both personnel and inmates.

The NCoS boss emphasised that the elevation of the officers was not merely a change of insignia, but a formal recognition of years of diligence, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty.