Five Kuje Inmates Bag Varsity Degrees, 200 Enroll At NOUN

At the Kuje Custodial Centre, five inmates have achieved university degrees in various disciplines from the National Open University of Nigeria. Additionally, more than 200 inmates at the center are currently enrolled in tertiary education.

During the certificate presentation ceremony held in Abuja on Monday, the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, highlighted the transformative power of education as a means of rehabilitation. Represented by Ibrahim Idris, the Controller of Corrections for the FCT Command, Nababa expressed confidence in the inmates’ abilities to compete on equal footing with their peers without facing stigmatization.

Nababa expressed gratitude to the National Open University of Nigeria for their continuous support in ensuring inmates nationwide have access to educational opportunities. He revealed that over 200 inmates at the Kuje center alone have enrolled in tertiary education. He encouraged other inmates to take advantage of the available education and vocational skills to prepare themselves for success upon their release into society.

The Controller General also pledged to sustain the collaboration between the Nigerian Correctional Service and the university in addressing security challenges in the country.

Prof. Olufemi Peters, the Vice Chancellor of NOUN, conveyed his message through Mrs. Modupe Adesina, the National Coordinator of Special Study Centres. He urged all inmates to seize the opportunity provided by the partnership between the Nigerian Correctional Service and NOUN to improve and empower themselves.

Center Director Francis Enobore, who is also the Controller of Corrections, called on the public to avoid stigmatizing ex-offenders. He emphasized that these individuals have undergone correction and should be accepted back into society with all rights and privileges, in order to prevent a return to criminal activities.