No fewer than 150 armed personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service are currently undergoing training at a military formation in Kontagora, Niger state, newsmen gathered.

It was gathered that the training was part of efforts to curtail the incessant attacks on correctional facilities in the country.

There have been cases of attack on correctional facilities in the country lately.

On October 22, the facility in Abolongo area in Oyo State was attacked by gunmen.

The Media Adviser to the Minister of Interior, Sola Fasure, said the number of personnel being trained might increase, adding that the 150 was an immediate response.

He said, “The 150 is the immediate response. The service will continue to draft more personnel into the programme.

“The 150 were taken off some assignments. Such training will now be factored into future personnel development and strategic plans as a way of response to an emergent challenge of armed invasion and attack on custodial facilities.

“The minister has ordered vulnerability audit of all the custodial facilities. He is also meeting his counterparts at Defence and Police Affairs Ministries to beef up security in and around all the facilities in the country.

“A process of retraining correctional officers in heavy combat and handling heavy weapons has started.”

He added that efforts were ongoing to improve the infrastructure at all the facilities in the country.

Fasure added, “There is an ongoing infrastructure upgrade programme in all the correctional facilities across the country.

“The facilities are being beefed up with more armed personnel drawn across the services and more sophisticated equipment that will withstand external attacks are being supplied.’’