Picture: Courtesy Vanguard
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Kano State Command, has arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly attempting to smuggle Indian hemp into a custodial facility at the Kano High Court premises.
The arrest was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Musbahu Lawan-Kofarnasarawa.
According to the statement, the suspect, a resident of Tishama Hotoro Quarters in Kano, was apprehended by officers of the Goron Dutse Custodial Centre while inmates were being escorted to court for their various hearings.
He was reportedly found to have concealed a substance suspected to be Indian hemp inside a loaf of bread, which he intended to pass to an inmate during court proceedings.
The Controller of Corrections in the state, Ado Inuwa, ordered that the suspect be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Inuwa commended the officers involved, particularly the Officer-in-Charge of the Goron Dutse Custodial Centre, ACC Kafilu Abdullahi, for their vigilance and professionalism in preventing the smuggling of illicit substances into custodial facilities.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Correctional Service’s commitment to maintaining safe, secure and drug-free custodial centres, and urged members of the public, especially parents and guardians, to discourage youths from engaging in criminal activities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the command has recently foiled similar smuggling attempts as part of ongoing efforts to curb crime within correctional facilities.