By Palma Ileye
Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, has denied serving cats as meals to prison inmates also saying that inmates’ welfare was very essential.
According to a press release issued yesterday by the Public Relations Officer of the Correctional Service, ACC Umar Abubakar, stated that it was immoral and insensitive to insinuate that cat, a pet, which many detest as food, will be officially served to a people.
The Corrections statement read, “the attention of the Nigerian Correctional Service, has been drawn to a report in sections of the media alleging that the Command substitutes cat meat for beef in its custodial centres.
“The report is not only malicious but untrue and most unfortunate. At best, it exposes the naivety of the author about the processes involved in food supply to inmates.”
Umar in the statement explained that, for the avoidance of doubt, inmates’ ration was awarded to certified vendors who supply raw food stuff to designated custodial centres.
He said that a ration committee constituted by the Controller-General comprising the Officer in-Charge of the Centre, a Medical Officer, Welfare Officer, Ration Clerk, Chief Warder, and other relevant professionals confirm the wholesomeness before recommendation for payment.
He stated that the actual cooking was done by the inmates themselves under the supervision of professional caterers, and it was mandatory for designated officers to have a taste of the food before serving to the inmates.
He added that all these processes were documented for official references and, in a nutshell, show the seriousness attached to inmate feeding by the management of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
“Besides, it is immoral and insensitive to insinuate that cat, a pet, which many detest as food, will be officially served to a people!
“Nigerian Correctional Service, therefore, wishes to advise the public to disregard the unfounded information as it remains a figment of the author’s imagination,” he further stated.
He also said that the welfare of inmates remains sacrosanct and the goal of reformation towards safe reunion with the society, unwavering.
