The Nigerian Correctional Service said it has commenced the production of drugs in order to meet the health demands of inmates across the country.

It explained that the drug company located at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, was already manufacturing Paracetamol and Septrin (Cotrimoxazole).

The Controller-General of Corrections, Ja’afar Ahmed, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the distribution of drugs to the 37 state commands of the service by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in Abuja on Monday.

He said, “We are already working; we have the drug compounding unit in Kuje which has started producing Paracetamol and Septrin [cotrimoxazole] and we wish to expand from there to see that one day, the service will be able to produce all the drugs that we required because we have all the expertise.

“We have already made it a limited company by guarantee and that means it has kicked off.”

He disclosed that the NCoS receives N77 million from the Federal Government every month to procure drugs and other equipment which it distributes to over 75,000 inmates in 244 prison formations.

“In every pharmacy that you go in all our 244 formations, you will find drugs there. What we want is a situation whereby the health of the inmates that are put under our care is catered for,” Ahmed noted.

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Interior said the drugs would serve all the custodial centres for the year.

He urged the NCoS to ensure that the drugs got to the inmates, adding that “all hands must be on deck to ensure that healthcare of the inmates are not undermined.”

While commending the NCoS for its effort in preventing the outbreak of diseases in the custodial centres, Aregbesola admonished the service to continue the good work.