Ahead of the planned nationwide protest set to start on August 1, the Federal Government has declared all its 256 custodial centres across the country as “red zones” that must not be violated under any circumstances.
The Controller General of Corrections (CGC), Hailey Nababa, issued this warning in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
“In view of the purported national protest scheduled for the first day of August 2024, the Nigerian Correctional Service wishes to inform the public that the custodial centres have been designated as red zones; therefore, any person or group of persons who have no business whatsoever should steer clear,” read the statement, signed by the agency’s spokesman Abubakar Umar.
The agency reiterated that “custodial and non-custodial centres are critical national assets essential to public safety and national security.”
“Tampering with or attacking them will lead to a breakdown of law and order and further exacerbate societal security,” the statement added.
In light of the proposed protest, security measures have been intensified at custodial centres nationwide.
“Adequate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure that no correctional facility is compromised,” the statement noted.
“The Ministry of Interior Joint Taskforce (MOIJTF) has been activated to provide extra security in and around custodial facilities nationwide.”
This move follows a similar directive from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which has ordered increased security around the country’s borders.
“The Comptroller General of Immigration Service, KN Nandap, has directed zonal heads, state command comptrollers, and divisional immigration officers (DIOS) across the country to be extra vigilant and enhance surveillance in view of the planned nationwide protest,” the NCS stated.
Other security agencies, including the Nigerian Army and police, have also cautioned against violence during the planned protest.