Minister orders custodial centre officers to shoot to kill not to injure

…Says incessant attacks on custodial centres must stop

Abiodun OBA

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has ordered custodial centre officers not to shoot to injure, but to shoot to kill. Not shoot to disable, but shoot to kill.

The Minister spoke on Monday while inspecting the Agodi Custodial Centre, Ibadan. He also inspected the new custodial centre at Olomi area of the town.

Aregbesola warned that incessant attacks on custodial centres in the country must stop, adding that henceforth, any attempt to attack any prison would be met with brutal resistance.

He said the facility is a red zone and the officers must therefore make it impregnable, adding that any attack on any correctional centre is an attack on the state and such must never be allowed again.

The minister said any attempt to attack correctional centres should be a suicide attempt and perpetrators must not be allowed to live to tell the story.

He said, “The most important thing is the security impregnability of this facility. Make this facility impregnable.

“It is a red zone, dangerous zone. Whoever attempts to breach the security here is already dead. He must not live to tell the story. Other people will tell his or her story.

“Any effort to breach our facility is not acceptable. Don’t shoot to injure, shoot to kill. Don’t shoot to disable, shoot to kill.

“This is a total embodiment of the state to guarantee the security of the people.

“We will do our best regarding your welfare to ensure effective service. I must commend your work for not recording any case of COVID-19 in your facility.

“But most importantly, you must be effective in preventing the penetration of this facility. You must have the capacity to repel viciously any attempt to penetrate this facility.”