The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has faulted reports of outbreaks of tuberculosis in Correctional centres nationwide, saying that the report was not backed by any data or empirical evidence.
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The Service dismissed the report as misleading, sensational, and inaccurate, and expressed concerns over its sweeping generalisations, irrespective of the structural mechanisms and protocols guiding the welfare and health conditions of inmates in Correctional facilities.
A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Service, Jane Osuji, said the report as published in the Daily Trust newspaper, did not represent the true situation of the health conditions of inmates in the Correctional facilities.
Osuji, who is a Chief Superintendent of Corrections (CSC), described the approach adopted by the newspaper as misleading, unfair, and giving the erroneous impression of systemic neglect where none exists.”
“The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has noted with concern a report published by Daily Trust on 3 January 2026 titled “How Nigerian Prisons Became Tuberculosis Hotbeds.”
“While the Service recognises and welcomes responsible media engagement on matters of public health and inmate welfare, it is compelled to respond to the misleading narrative, sweeping generalisations, and inaccurate conclusions presented in the report, which do not reflect the true situation within Nigerian custodial centres,” Osuji said.
She explained that tuberculosis is a global health challenge that affects both custodial and non-custodial populations worldwide, stressing that Nigeria’s TB response is coordinated under the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP), in line with World Health Organization guidelines.
She added that the NCoS is active in the management of tuberculosis in the country with strict compliance with its protocols.
She therefore dismissed the report, saying nothing in it claims, and narratives could portray custodial centres as tuberculosis “hotbeds,” as they are not supported by verified NCoS data.
“Notably, names and cases cited in the report do not exist in the records of any custodial centre known to the Service. Responsible journalism demands accuracy, balance, and reliance on verified, facility-specific data rather than conjecture, selective testimonies, or sensational headlines designed to misinform the public and malign public institutions,” Osuji stated.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service remains committed to safeguarding the health, dignity, and human rights of all persons in custody, recognising that custodial health is inseparable from public health.
“While the Service remains open to constructive criticism and informed public discourse, it strongly rejects reports that are misleading, deliberately alarmist, and designed to misinform the public or portray the Service in an unjustifiably negative light.
“The NCoS will continue to strengthen partnerships, improve healthcare delivery, and pursue reforms that promote humane custody, rehabilitation, and reintegration in line with national laws and international best practices,” the spokesperson of the NCoS said.
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