five months after the National Identity Management Commission authorised the Nigerian Correctional Service to register inmates for National Identity Numbers, the registration process has still not begun in custodial centres nationwide, Sunday PUNCH learnt.
The initiative, approved in January 2025, is intended to integrate inmates into national development plans, enhance their security, and facilitate their identification in the event of jailbreaks.
The NIMC had granted the NCoS the license to conduct the registration at 256 custodial centres nationwide, following a request by the Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche.
Nwakuche made the request during a visit to the Director-General of the NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, in Abuja.
According to Nwakuche, registering inmates for the NIN would address their exclusion from national programmes and improve internal security within correctional facilities.
He noted that it would also support efforts to locate and recapture inmates in the event of an escape.
However, despite the approval, the process has not yet commenced.
Insiders in NCoS disclosed that logistical arrangements were still being finalised before registration could begin.
Responding to inquiries, NCoS spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, confirmed that the process was still underway, stressing that the scale of the task required careful planning and execution.
“Work is in progress. Don’t forget we have about 256 custodial centres across the federation, and it will take time to ensure all inmates are key to the system,” he said.
