The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has dismissed claims that custodial centres across the country have become uncontrolled breeding grounds for tuberculosis (TB), describing such reports as misleading, sensational and unsupported by verified data.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by J.N. Osuji, Service Public Relations Officer, the NCoS said it welcomes responsible media engagement on public health and inmate welfare but will not tolerate narratives that distort facts and unfairly portray the Service in a negative light.
The Service disclosed that a reporter had earlier contacted the NCoS to seek information on tuberculosis treatment protocols and control measures within custodial centres.
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According to the statement, the Service provided detailed, factual and verifiable information in line with national and international health standards.
However, it expressed disappointment that the eventual publication adopted what it described as a sensational tone, creating a false impression of systemic neglect and widespread health failure within correctional facilities.
The NCoS stressed that tuberculosis remains a global public health challenge affecting both custodial and non-custodial populations.
Nigeria’s national response to TB, it noted, is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP), in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, with the Nigerian Correctional Service playing an active and collaborative role.
According to the statement, health clinics operate in custodial centres nationwide, and the Service works closely with the NTBLCP, Federal and State Ministries of Health, non-governmental organisations and development partners to ensure routine TB screening, laboratory diagnosis, treatment initiation, adherence monitoring and referrals where required. Inmates diagnosed with tuberculosis are placed on nationally approved treatment regimens at no cost to them.
The Service further noted that several of the broad claims and specific cases cited in the report could not be substantiated with verified NCoS records.
It added that some of the names mentioned do not exist in the records of any recognised custodial centre, stressing that responsible journalism demands accuracy, balance and reliance on verifiable information rather than conjecture or alarmist narratives.
On healthcare management, the NCoS explained that its custodial centres implement medical screening on admission, periodic health assessments, infection prevention and control measures, isolation of infectious cases where clinically indicated, and structured referral systems to external hospitals.
These measures, it said, are continually reviewed and strengthened, even in the face of challenges such as ageing infrastructure and rising inmate populations.
Recalling its experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Service said custodial centres were globally classified as high-risk environments at the time, yet Nigeria’s correctional facilities successfully prevented the spread of the virus through proactive screening, isolation protocols and strong inter-agency collaboration.
It stated that there was no record of active COVID-19 cases within its facilities during the period.
While acknowledging the reality of congestion in some urban custodial centres, the NCoS maintained that this does not translate to indifference to inmate welfare.
It reaffirmed its commitment to decongestion through regular jail delivery exercises, collaboration with the judiciary and the expansion of non-custodial measures provided for under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act.
The Service also disclosed that the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of additional medical and healthcare professionals to further strengthen healthcare delivery across custodial centres.
The Nigerian Correctional Service reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the health, dignity and human rights of all persons in custody, emphasising that custodial health is inseparable from public health.
