Aregbesola Speaks On Resignation

Aregbesola Speaks On Resignation

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has affirmed that he will not resign from office despite the rampant successful attacks on the nation’s custodial facilities; unleashing thousands of convicts on society.

Aregbesola said this to State House Correspondents after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to the Minister, several factors are responsible for the jailbreaks. He also assured Nigerians that the federal government is doing everything necessary to make its prisons more impenetrable.

He noted that several prison officials lost their lives defending the custodial centres, which he said is the highest form of honour for the country.

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He explained: “Imo was in April this year. Kabba was in September. Abologo was in October and Jos was in November. Those captured the attacks.

“As painful as those attacks were, very painful, nobody will really want the end of justice to be so vulnerable. The custodial facilities are the tip end of the justice administration. So, morally, the state owes itself the responsibility of safe custody that must not be violated.

“On that account alone, we must appreciate the enormity of any successful attack on custodial facilities, and so do I. But I want us to put this thing in the context of our security situation.

“When our best does not suffice, it’s no longer a question of your inability to make preparation or failure for preparation or preparedness. It’s just that at that instance, you just couldn’t hold the defence and several factors are responsible.

“What I can assure Nigerians is this. Yes, as contextual as these attacks and the successes such criminals are having, we are upping our game and we will not allow it, we will prevent any such opportunistic attack and even make it impossible. And that is what the state must do.

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“We are working with all arms of government, particularly the security to make our custodial facilities impregnable. We will not rest until that is achieved. That’s the assurance I shall give to Nigerians.

“As to whether it calls for my resignation, I still don’t see any need for that because it’s not for lack of preparedness that the attacks were successful. No!”

He affirmed that the death of prison officials during the attacks corroborates the efforts expended in preventing them.