The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has called for psychological evaluations for officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service....Read Full Article >>➤
The minister stated that correctional officers are critical to the nation’s criminal justice system and the broader society, adding that the service should go beyond mere incarceration and focus on rehabilitation, restoration, and reformation of inmates.
Speaking during a public hearing on alleged corruption and other violations within the service on Wednesday, the minister pointed out that correctional officers must understand their primary role as agents of rehabilitation and not condemnation. He noted that when officers treat inmates with hostility rather than as individuals capable of reform, the system has failed
Tunji-Ojo said,”Our correctional officers, their psyche is important. I think a lot of them really need psychological evaluation without being disrespectful. A man who will handle another man who is already feeling deprived should be psychologically sound. And I mean that without an apology.”
Tunji-Ojo drew attention to the potential dangers of officers carrying personal frustrations into their work, noting that unchecked emotions could lead to mistreatment of inmates.
“Even if an officer’s wife does not give him breakfast, he will go and take it out on an inmate. If he goes to bed unable to sleep, the next person to bear the brunt is the helpless person that the system is supposed to protect. When the vulnerable, the subject of protection, becomes a target, then there is a problem.”
He urged the leadership of the correctional service to take immediate steps to implement reforms and ensure that officers are psychologically evaluated to enhance their effectiveness in discharging their duties.
“There is a lot of work we need to do, and it is my responsibility to take charge of where we are,” he said.
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