The federal government has restated its shoot on sight order to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) against terrorists and invaders of prison facilities across the country.
This was made known by the minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Tuesday, December 6, according to The Vanguard.
Aregbesola warned against posting of lily-livered personnel to custodial facilities, adding that only sharp shooters, who are trained to aim at the heads of criminals should be deployed to such centres.
He said that the goal of the administration of criminal justice would have been defeated and money spent on arrests, investigations, trials and prosecution wasted if inmates were allowed to escape.
Following the directives, the federal government also inaugurated a command and control room for real time monitoring of selected custodial centres across the country.
Aregbesola said that, “As far as I am concerned, whoever attempts to attack our facilities, whoever dares should not live to tell the story.
“I will never get tired of saying that anyone who attacks our custodial facility should be made to return to his maker instantly.
“I have said it before and I will say it again that all our facilities are red zones. Rifles are for criminals, not for hunting antelopes.
“You don’t need any order. Don’t wait for any order.
“Anybody that comes to attack our custodial facilities must be killed immediately.
“Our facilities should be inviolable and any intruder must be made to pay a huge price.
“Inmates now know that they cannot escape by themselves. They have criminals outside who want to help them to escape.
“Any officer that is too lily livered, that cannot shoot to kill a terrorist should be trained correctly.
“Train them to shoot the head of invaders, not legs. Whoever is not bold enough to shoot to kill, don’t take them to custodial centres, except maybe the female section,” he added
The minister also commissioned a block of barracks for junior officers and 40 operational vehicles, and gave awards to 25 personnel of a Kagara custodial facility in Niger state, where the personnel repelled an invasion by terrorists.
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