The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has dismissed claims suggesting that custodial centres across the country have become unchecked breeding grounds for tuberculosis, described such narratives as misleading, sensational, and unsupported by verified data.
In a statement issued on 4 January 2026 and signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections (CSC) J.N. Osuji, the NCoS said it welcomed responsible media engagement on issues of public health and inmate welfare but would not accepted reports that misrepresented facts and unfairly portrayed the Service in a negative light.
The Service disclosed that a reporter had earlier contacted the NCoS seeking information on tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimens and control measures within custodial centres, and was provided with detailed, factual, and verifiable information consistent with national and international health standards. However, the Service expressed concern that the eventual report adopted a sensational tone that created the false impression of systemic neglect.
According to the NCoS, tuberculosis is a global public health challenge affecting both custodial and non-custodial populations. Nigeria’s TB response is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP), in line with World Health Organization guidelines, with the Nigerian Correctional Service playing an active and collaborative role.
The statement explained that health clinics operate in custodial centres nationwide and that the Service works closely with the NTBLCP, Federal and State Ministries of Health, non-governmental organisations, and development partners to ensure routine TB screening, laboratory diagnosis, treatment initiation, adherence monitoring, and referrals where necessary. Inmates diagnosed with tuberculosis are placed on nationally approved treatment regimens at no cost.
The NCoS further stated that the broad claims and specific cases cited in the report are not supported by verified Service data, noting that some names mentioned do not exist in the records of any known custodial centre. It stressed that responsible journalism requires accuracy, balance, and reliance on verifiable information rather than conjecture or alarmist narratives.
Healthcare management within custodial centres, the Service said, included medical screening upon admission, periodic health assessments, infection prevention and control measures, isolation of infectious cases where clinically indicated, and structured referral systems to external hospitals. These measures are continually reviewed and strengthened despite challenges such as ageing infrastructure and rising inmate populations.
Recalling its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCoS said custodial centres were globally categorised as high-risk environments at the time, yet the Service successfully prevented the spread of the virus within its facilities through proactive screening, isolation protocols, and inter-agency collaboration, with no record of active cases.
While acknowledging congestion in some urban custodial centres, the Service maintained that this does not amount to indifference to inmate welfare. It reaffirmed its commitment to decongestion through jail delivery exercises, collaboration with the judiciary, and the expansion of non-custodial measures under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act. The Service also disclosed that the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of additional medical and healthcare professionals to strengthen service delivery across custodial centres.
The Nigerian Correctional Service reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the health, dignity, and human rights of all persons in custody, stressing that custodial health is inseparable from public health. It added that while it remained open to constructive criticism, it will continue to challenge reports that are misleading or deliberately alarmist.
