NCoS Denies Report On Tuberculosis In Custodial Centres

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has refuted a report published by Daily Trust on January 3, 2026, titled “How Nigerian Prisons Became Tuberculosis Hotbeds,” describing it as misleading, sensational, and not reflective of the realities within custodial centres across the country.

In a statement on Sunday, by J.N. Osuji, the NCoS said while it welcomes responsible media scrutiny on public health and inmate welfare, the said publication relied on sweeping generalisations, unverified claims, and inaccurate conclusions that unfairly portray Nigerian custodial centres as neglected breeding grounds for tuberculosis (TB).

According to the NCoS, the reporter had earlier contacted the Service seeking information on TB treatment regimens and control measures within custodial facilities.

The NCoS said it provided comprehensive, factual, and verifiable details on its tuberculosis prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment frameworks, which align with national and international health standards.

However, it claimed that the facts were largely ignored in favour of a sensational narrative.

“The portrayal of custodial centres as unchecked ‘hotbeds’ for tuberculosis is misleading and gives a false impression of systemic neglect where none exists,” the Service stated.

The NCoS emphasised that tuberculosis remains a global public health challenge affecting both custodial and non-custodial populations worldwide.

It explained that Nigeria’s TB response is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP), in line with World Health Organization guidelines, with the Correctional Service playing an active role as a key stakeholder.

Contrary to the claims in the report, the Service disclosed that health clinics operate in custodial facilities nationwide, supported through collaborations with the NTBLCP, Federal and State Ministries of Health, non-governmental organisations, and development partners. These partnerships, it said, facilitate routine TB screening, laboratory diagnosis, treatment initiation, adherence monitoring, and referrals to secondary or tertiary health institutions when necessary.

“Inmates diagnosed with tuberculosis are promptly placed on nationally approved treatment regimens at no cost,” the Service added.

The NCoS further challenged the credibility of the report, stating that names and cases cited could not be traced to records in any recognised custodial centre.

It stressed that responsible journalism requires accuracy, balance, and reliance on verified, facility-specific data rather than conjecture, selective testimonies, or alarmist headlines.

On healthcare management, the Service outlined that all inmates undergo medical screening upon admission, alongside periodic health assessments, infection prevention and control measures, isolation of infectious cases where clinically indicated, and structured referral systems to external hospitals.

These systems, it said, are continuously reviewed and strengthened despite challenges such as ageing infrastructure and rising inmate populations.

While drawing from its experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCoS said it had demonstrated strong institutional capacity in managing communicable diseases.

It noted that through proactive screening, isolation protocols, and inter-agency collaboration, custodial centres nationwide recorded no active COVID-19 cases, despite being classified globally as high-risk environments.

While acknowledging congestion in some urban custodial centres, the Service maintained that this does not translate to indifference to inmate welfare.

It said decongestion efforts are ongoing through jail delivery exercises, collaboration with the judiciary, and the expansion of non-custodial measures as provided under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act.

The Service also revealed that the Federal Government has approved the recruitment of additional medical and healthcare professionals to strengthen health service delivery, improve response capacity, and enhance disease surveillance and treatment programmes across custodial centres.

While reaffirming its commitment, the NCoS said it remains dedicated to safeguarding the health, dignity, and human rights of all persons in custody, stressing that custodial health is inseparable from public health.

The service noted that it’s open to constructive criticism and informed public discourse, saying it would continue to reject reports it considers misleading, deliberately alarmist, or designed to unjustly malign public institutions.