- Safiu Kehinde
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has debunked reports indicating widespread tuberculosis outbreaks and related deaths in its facilities, describing the claims as “false, misleading, and a gross misrepresentation” of custodial healthcare conditions.
NCoS Public Relations Officer, Jane Osuji, made this known in a statement issued Sunday in Abuja.
According to Osuji, healthcare services across custodial centres, including tuberculosis prevention and control measures, remained effective and properly structured nationwide.
While acknowledging independent reports and studies’ indication of challenges with tuberculosis in Nigerian prisons, the NCoS spokesperson however said such findings must be contextualised and not presented through sweeping, misleading generalisations.
She said the Service welcomed responsible media engagement on public health and inmate welfare but was compelled to respond to what it described as sensational narratives and erroneous conclusions contained in the report.
Osuji explained that the reporter contacted the Service before publication to request information on tuberculosis treatment regimens and control measures implemented across custodial centres by the Nigerian Correctional Service.
She said the reporter received detailed, factual and verifiable information on tuberculosis prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment frameworks, consistent with national policies and international public health standards.
“Regrettably, the report adopted a sensational tone by portraying custodial centres as unchecked ‘hotbeds’ for tuberculosis, an approach that is misleading, unfair and creates an erroneous impression of systemic neglect,” she said.
Osuji emphasised that tuberculosis remained a global public health challenge affecting custodial and non-custodial populations worldwide, requiring coordinated responses rather than alarmist portrayals of correctional institutions.
She said that Nigeria’s tuberculosis response was coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare through the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme, aligned with World Health Organisation guidelines.
According to her, the Nigerian Correctional Service is an active stakeholder in the national tuberculosis response and treats prevention, early detection and treatment with utmost seriousness.
Osuji stated that contrary to impressions created by the report, the Service operated health clinics across custodial facilities nationwide and worked closely with the National Tuberculosis control programme.
She said this collaboration included federal and state health ministries, non-governmental organisations and development partners supporting routine screening, diagnosis, treatment initiation, adherence monitoring and referrals where necessary.
“These collaborations support routine TB screening, laboratory diagnosis and treatment, and inmates diagnosed with tuberculosis are promptly placed on nationally approved treatment regimens at no cost,” she said.
The spokesperson rejected claims portraying custodial centres as tuberculosis “hotbeds,” stressing that such assertions were unsupported by verified Service data and lacked factual institutional records.
“Notably, names and cases cited in the report do not exist in the records of any custodial centre known to the Service.
“Responsible journalism requires accuracy, balance and reliance on verified, facility-specific data rather than conjecture or selective testimonies,” she added.
Osuji outlined that healthcare management in custodial centres included medical screening on admission, periodic assessments, infection prevention and control measures, and isolation of infectious cases when clinically indicated.
She said structured referral systems exist for transferring inmates to external secondary or tertiary hospitals when required, ensuring continuity of care beyond custodial medical facilities.
Osuji acknowledged challenges including ageing infrastructure and rising inmate populations, noting those reflected broader systemic issues within national health and justice sectors currently under continuous review.
She said such challenges were being addressed through policy reforms, infrastructural reviews and improved coordination aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery across custodial centres nationwide.
Osuji recalled the Service’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic when custodial centres were classified globally as high-risk environments requiring strict infection prevention protocols.
“Through proactive screening, isolation protocols and inter-agency collaboration, the NCoS successfully prevented the spread of COVID-19 into custodial centres nationwide, with no record of active cases.
“This verifiable record underscores our institutional capacity and preparedness to manage communicable diseases, including tuberculosis, within custodial settings,” Osuji maintained.
On congestion, Osuji acknowledged overcrowding in some urban centres but stressed this did not reflect indifference to inmate welfare or healthcare service delivery.
She highlighted ongoing decongestion efforts through jail delivery exercises, judicial collaboration and expansion of non-custodial measures under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act.
Osuji disclosed that the Federal Government had approved recruitment of additional medical and healthcare professionals to strengthen service delivery across custodial centres nationwide.
She said the recruitment was expected to enhance response capacity, disease surveillance, early detection and treatment programmes within the correctional healthcare system.
Osuji reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to safeguarding the health, dignity and human rights of persons in custody, emphasising that custodial health remained inseparable from public health.
She reiterated openness to constructive criticism and informed discourse but rejected reports that were misleading, alarmist or designed to misinform the public.
“NCoS will continue strengthening partnerships, improving healthcare delivery and pursuing reforms promoting humane custody, rehabilitation and reintegration in line with national laws and international best practices,” she said.