Contraband: NCoS Seizes N2.5m Cash, Destroys 1,167 Mobile Phones, Drugs, Sanctions 147 Prison Officers

In a bold move to curb rising security breaches and dismantle contraband networks within custodial centres, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), on Tuesday, destroyed 1,167 mobile phones and other prohibited items recovered from custodial facilities across the country.

The Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, said the items were seized over the past eight months and included smartphones, SIM cards, chargers and other unauthorised materials.

He warned that the presence of such items in correctional facilities undermined security and enabled inmates to sustain criminal activities from within custody.

“Before you are prohibited items recovered from custodial centres across the country within the last eight months. These include mobile phones, SIM cards, and other unauthorised materials. Their presence within our facilities is unacceptable. They compromise security, disrupt discipline, and create channels through which criminal activities are sustained from within custody.

“A total of 1,167 mobile phones, comprising Android devices, iPhones, and button phones, alongside various earpieces, chargers, and other unauthorised materials will be destroyed today,” the NCoS CG disclosed.

CG Nwakuche disclosed that a total of ₦2,569,000 in cash was also confiscated during the operations and had been paid into the government treasury in line with financial regulations.

The Correctional Chief also revealed that 147 custodial personnel have been sanctioned for misconduct, including complicity in the smuggling of contraband into custodial centres.

“The trafficking of contraband into our custodial centres cannot occur without some level of internal compromise,” he said, adding that any officer found culpable would face the full weight of the law.

He further disclosed that several external collaborators have been arrested and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for prosecution.

According to him, some of the suspects were already facing trial.

Nwakuche said the Service had established a Special Crack Team to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance and enforcement, leading to the recovery of the seized items.

He warned members of the public, including visitors and families of inmates, against attempting to smuggle prohibited items into correctional facilities, stressing that offenders would face severe consequences.

“Let me state clearly that the trafficking of contraband into our custodial centres cannot occur without some level of internal compromise. Any officer who aids, ignores, or facilitates this act is in direct violation of their oath and a threat to the integrity of this Service. Anyone found culpable will be visited with the full weight of the law, as others before them have already experienced. Be warned,” he stated.

The NCoS boss further sai , “Again, let me be unequivocal:, anyone who engages in the smuggling of contraband into our facilities, whether as a visitor, contractor, or collaborator, will face severe consequences. These acts are not minor infractions; they are deliberate attempts to undermine national security and the administration of justice.
We are not speaking in theory.”

Nwakuche added that, “within the Service, we have matched policy with action. Staff members have been sanctioned for various acts. This underscores a simple truth. Accountability is no longer negotiable. The Service will not shield anyone who undermines its mandate.
Let me restate the broader implication. The smuggling of contraband into custodial centres fuels violence, sustains criminal networks, and, in some cases, facilitates escape attempts.

“A custodial environment compromised by such activities ceases to serve its purpose. It becomes an extension of the very crimes we are mandated to correct. That is a risk we will not permit. To our officers and men, your responsibility is clear. Maintain the highest standards of discipline and vigilance.

“To members of the public, families of inmates, and all who interact with our facilities, I offer this caution: do not attempt to breach our systems or influence our personnel. Do not conceal prohibited items in food, clothing, or personal effects. Do not test the integrity of this Service. The consequences will be severe, and enforcement will be uncompromising,” he furtger warned.

The exercise, he added, formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security, enforce discipline and ensure custodial centres fulfil their mandate of rehabilitation and reintegration.