The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has expressed discontent over the recurring instances of jailbreaks across the country in recent years.
Akpabio, who said this on Tuesday, criticized the frequent escapes, linking them to the rebranding of the Nigeria Prisons Service to the Nigeria Correctional Service.
Akpabio made his remarks during consideration of a bill aimed at amending the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act.
He argued that the name change has not yielded the desired outcomes, stating, “Since the adoption of that name, we have had more jailbreaks.” He emphasized that the primary purpose of laws is to punish and correct, but the current correctional system appears to be failing in this regard.
“Laws are meant to punish and to correct.
If by the time you are convicted and you are sent to prison, you are even meant to learn a skill and ethical reorientation and all that.
It is not only when we specifically call it a correctional centre and yet we are not correcting anything.
“I support the idea of having a thorough examination of the bill for the amendment to the RMAFC Act to avoid making the same mistake we made in coming up with the Correctional Services as a name,” Akpabio noted.
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The Senate President expressed support for a thorough examination of the bill to avoid repeating past mistakes, such as the renaming of the correctional services, which has not led to meaningful reform.
Akpabio’s comments highlight the need for a more effective approach to prison reform and the importance of addressing the root causes of recidivism.
This development raises questions about the efficacy of the Nigeria Correctional Service and the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the criminal justice system to address the persistent issue of jailbreaks and ensure public safety.