The Oyo State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) says drug-related offences account for most inmates in custodial centres.
DCC David Akadiri, Officer in-Charge, Medium Security Custodial Centre, Agodi, Ibadan, disclosed this during the 3rd Edition of the Inmates Debate Competition, organised by the centre in Ibadan on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the debate is themed: “Drug Abuse is a Major Contributor to Criminal Behaviour”.
NAN reports that the debate had Team A and Team B speaking for and against the topic respectively.
Akadiri described drug abuse as a bad phenomenon capable of taking addicts to undesirable places in life, thus the centre’s efforts to advise and encourage inmates to stay away from drugs.
He reaffirmed that custodial centres exist to make inmates better citizens by correcting and changing their mentality.
According to him, the government has created an enabling environment for NCoS to achieve its mandate to reform, correct, and rehabilitate inmates.
“The government has created an enabling environment by establishing a school within the facility; workshops have been created here, and instead of them sitting idle, they can engage themselves in productive activities.
“By the time they leave this place, they will be very useful to themselves, their families, and society at large,” he said.
Akadiri said the centre was optimistic that the inmates would be good ambassadors for society by the time they are reintegrated.
Mr Aderibigbe Iyanu, a representative of Taming Wonder, one of the partners in the debate initiative, said the debate was meant to remind the public that inmates still have abilities, ideas, and potential.
Iyanu said that the debate also served as an opportunity for inmates to learn, think, speak and engage with important issues affecting society.
He commended the inmates for participating in the debate and appreciated the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Agodi, for providing the debate’s platform.
An Assistant Commander of Narcotics (ACN), Godwin Mercy, NDLEA, Oyo State Command, urged Nigerians to shun drug abuse and misuse to reduce crime to the barest minimum.
NAN reports that Team B won with 84 points, while Team A had 80 points. (NAN)
