By Abbanobi -Eku Onyeka
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has expressed concern over a report published by Daily Trust on January 3, 2026, titled “How Nigerian Prisons Became Tuberculosis Hotbeds,” calling it misleading and inaccurate.
In a press release, JN Osuji, Chief Superintendent of Corrections Service, PRO, stated that the report’s sensational tone and sweeping generalizations do not reflect the true situation within Nigerian custodial centres.
The NCoS provided detailed information to the reporter on TB prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment frameworks, but the report chose to portray custodial centres as unchecked “hotbeds” for tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis is a global public health challenge, and Nigeria’s response is coordinated under the Federal Ministry of Health, with the NCoS an active stakeholder.
The NCoS operates health clinics across custodial facilities, working closely with the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP) and other partners to support TB screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
Inmates diagnosed with TB are promptly placed on nationally approved treatment regimens at no cost, contrary to the report’s claims.
The report’s broad claims are not supported by verified NCoS data, and names and cases cited do not exist in the records of any custodial centre.
The NCoS has effective protocols and response mechanisms for preventing and managing communicable diseases, demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Service acknowledges congestion in some urban facilities but remains engaged in decongestion efforts and is recruiting additional medical professionals to strengthen healthcare delivery.
The NCoS remains committed to safeguarding the health, dignity, and human rights of all persons in custody, and rejects misleading reports designed to misinform the public.
