The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 50 medical doctors and 100 nurses to serve in hospitals across Nigeria’s correctional centres.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who paid him a courtesy visit.
According to the minister, the approval followed a shortage of medical personnel in several correctional facilities across the country.
He cited the correctional centre in Rivers State as an example, noting that the facility currently has no medical doctor to attend to inmates. He added that some correctional centres, including the one in Kuje, are equipped with facilities capable of performing major surgical operations.
“The president understands that he is the president of all Nigerians, including inmates. As a father to all, he has consistently shown that he cares,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The minister also revealed that the Federal Government has been implementing training programmes for inmates through a train-the-trainer initiative aimed at equipping them with practical skills.
Tunji-Ojo further stressed the importance of collaboration with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to effectively communicate the achievements of the Ministry of Interior to the public.
“We want you to come and see some of the things we have been able to achieve. In terms of our national security strategy, we want to collaborate more so that there can be a coordinated communication strategy,” he said.
He also highlighted a new initiative by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), known as the “mine marshals,” developed in partnership with the Ministry of Solid Minerals.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at securing mining sites across the country and protecting critical national assets.
“Now our minefields are being secured. You can already see the effect, with a reduction in criminality and violence in the sector, as well as improved protection of critical national assets,” he added.
