The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has destroyed 1,167 confiscated mobile phones and other prohibited items recovered from custodial centres across the country as part of an intensified nationwide crackdown on contraband.
The public destruction exercise was supervised by Sylvester Nwakuche, who said the seized items included Android phones, iPhones and basic feature phones uncovered during coordinated search operations conducted over the past eight months.
The Service also disclosed that N2,569,000 in smuggled cash was recovered from inmates during the operations.
According to a statement issued by Jane Osuji, the confiscated money has been remitted to the federal treasury in line with existing financial regulations.
Nwakuche described the destruction exercise as a strong signal of the Service’s determination to eliminate threats to safety, order and discipline within custodial centres.
“These recoveries underscore both the scale of the challenge and the seriousness of our response,” he said.
The Controller-General warned correctional officers against aiding the smuggling of prohibited items into prisons, stating that internal compromise remains a major concern.
He revealed that 147 personnel have already been sanctioned for various offences linked to contraband trafficking.
“Any officer who aids, ignores, or facilitates the smuggling of prohibited items is in direct violation of their oath and a threat to the integrity of this Service,” he said.
“Anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law.”
The NCoS also accused some visitors and contractors of concealing illicit items in food and clothing while attempting to smuggle them into custodial facilities.
Nwakuche said several suspects arrested in connection with such activities have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for prosecution.
He stressed that contraband within prisons enables criminal networks to continue operating from inside correctional facilities, undermining the Service’s mandate of reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration.
To strengthen enforcement efforts, the NCoS said it has established a dedicated Special Crack Team to improve intelligence gathering and surveillance across custodial centres nationwide.
The Service added that plans are underway to deploy modern surveillance technology and deepen collaboration with other security agencies.
