The International Human Rights Commission and the Nigerian Correctional Service agreed to strengthen collaboration to promote human rights.

They also agreed to collaborate on inmate rehabilitation and reintegration programmes.

The agreement was reached during a courtesy visit on Friday by the IHRC delegation, led by the state director, Musa Bawa, to the controller of corrections in Kaduna.

Speaking during the visit, the controller said the command was committed to working with relevant stakeholders to improve the welfare, rehabilitation and successful reintegration of inmates into society.

He said the command was seeking a partnership with the IHRC in human rights education and capacity building for correctional personnel and inmates, as well as in rehabilitation and reintegration initiatives.

According to him, the proposed areas of collaboration include skills acquisition programmes, legal awareness campaigns, mentorship, post-release support and community-based reintegration efforts aimed at reducing the rate of reoffending.

The controller noted that strengthening partnerships with organisations that promote human rights would complement the NCoS’s mandate and contribute to inmate reform.

Mr Bawa reaffirmed the IHRC’s commitment to promoting respect for human rights and supporting programmes that enhance the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.

Mr Bawa said the commission believed that effective collaboration among government institutions and civil society organisations was essential to building a more humane and efficient correctional system.

He added that both organisations had agreed to work together to develop initiatives that would improve human rights awareness, strengthen rehabilitation programmes, and facilitate the successful reintegration of former inmates into society.

The NCoS, established under the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, is mandated not only to keep persons in lawful custody but also to reform, rehabilitate and prepare inmates for productive lives after release through education, vocational training and other correctional programmes.

The IHRC in Kaduna has continued to engage with government institutions and communities on issues related to human rights protection, peaceful dispute resolution, and access to justice across the state.

(NAN)