NCoS Denies Detaining Army General Illegally, Union Blocks Defence Ministry

Ikechukwu Aleke in Abuja

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), yesterday denied trending allegations that it was detaining an Army General Illegally in its detention facility in Abuja.

The Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Correctional Service, FCT Command, DSC AS Duza, in a statement, said, the Nigerian Correctional Service only admits persons legally interned by a competent court of law or a military court martial.

He explained that in the case of the said General, he was legally detained by a military court martial, with a valid warrant.

The statement read: “The attention of the Nigerian Correctional Service (FCT), Command, has been drawn to a report by a whistle blowing group demanding for the release of the former Group Managing Director and Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited, Maj. Gen. Umaru Muazu Mohammed, purporting that he was detained without a warrant.

“ The Command wishes to state equivocally that the Service is a responsible security agency set up by the laws of the federation, with the mandate of keeping the legally interned.

“The Nigerian Correctional Service only admits persons legally interned by a competent court of law or a military court martial. In the case of the said General, he was legally detained by a military court martial, with a valid warrant.”

It said that if was unfortunate for the said group, acting without knowledge of how the system works, to feed the public with false information borne out of crass ignorance.

“ Asking the Nigerian Correctional Service to release the Major General who was legally interned by a military court martial, is a aberration to the criminal justice process. The FCT command of the Nigerian Correctional Service enjoins the public to disregard the call by the said group as it is committed to safe and humane custody of all persons committed in its care,” the organisation said.

Also, civilian staff of the Ministry of Defence under the umbrella of the Joint Executive Council, yesterday shut down the headquarters of the ministry for several hours in Abuja over alleged brutalisation of their members by soldiers.

The President of the Council, Didam Joel, said a civilian staff of the ministry had been under detention for a month by military authorities, even though he is not a military personnel.

Joel added that an assistant director of the ministry working at Command Secondary School, Ojo, in Lagos, was equally brutalised yesterday without recourse to civil service rules.