A total of 3,000 inmates are currently running different degree programmes with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) while 50 are undergoing National Certificates in Education (NCE) with Yewa College of Education, Ogun State, Nigerian Correctional Service, has revealed.
The Service also disclosed that not less than 18 inmates studying with NOUN Corrections’ Special Study Centres, were last Saturday graduated with various degree certificates.
Public Relations Officer of NCoS, Mr Francis Enobore, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said currently the Service has 12 Special Study Centres in different Custodial facilities across the country.
Acting Controller General of Corrections, John Mrabure, in a congratulatory message to the graduands, charged them to see the educational advancement as a stepping stone to a brighter future.
He urged them to shun anti-social behaviours capable of tainting the new course of positive life they have chosen for themselves and be good ambassadors of both the Correctional Service and NOUN.
The Custodial Centres involved in the graduation exercise are Medium Security Custodial Centre Awka, Anambra State 1 inmate; Maximum Security Custodial Centres Enugu, 6 inmates and Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Lagos State, 6 inmates.
Others are Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje 4 inmates and Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Port Harcourt-Rivers State, 1 inmate.
In 2014, the best graduating student of NOUN was an inmate in Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Enugu and the feat was repeated in 2018 by another inmate in the same Custodial Centre.
Since the inception of the collaboration between the Service and NOUN, a total of 36 inmates have graduated in different fields of study such as Conflict and Peace Resolution, Political Science, Sociology, Guidance and counselling, among others.