The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has conferred academic certificates on six inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja, in a move that reinforces the role of education in inmate rehabilitation and reintegration.
Among the graduands was Abba Kyari, popularly known as the “Super Cop,” who is currently awaiting trial at the facility. The graduation ceremony, held on December 14, 2025, celebrated the inmates’ academic achievements and highlighted education as a transformative tool within the correctional system.
This was contained in a press release signed by DSC A.S. Duza, Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Correctional Service, FCT Command.
The six inmates completed various academic programmes through NOUN while in custody, earning a total of two Master’s Degrees in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution and four Bachelor’s Degrees in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Political Science, Criminology, and Security Studies.
Speaking at the event, the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, MFR, mni, represented by the Deputy Controller-General, Amos Kupan, CNA, PhD, mni, described the achievement as proof that incarceration does not mark the end of personal growth.
“Education transforms lives, builds capacity, and proves that incarceration is not a dead end but a pivot to growth and reintegration,” Nwakuche said. “We will continue to foster skills that support re-entry into society and a better future.”
He urged the graduates to use the knowledge and skills they had acquired to pursue lawful and productive livelihoods upon reintegration into society.
The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters, was represented at the ceremony by the Director of the NOUN Special Study Centre, Controller of Corrections Francis Enobore, PhD, MNIPR, mni (Rtd). Enobore commended the Nigerian Correctional Service for sustaining a 13-year partnership with the university aimed at expanding access to education for inmates.
“This programme is a pathway of hope,” Enobore said. “We will continue empowering inmates toward dignity, self-worth, and successful re-entry into society.”
He added that NOUN’s flexible learning model was designed to reach all segments of society, including those behind bars.
“NOUN’s open model empowers even the marginalized. These graduates demonstrate that learning heals, equips, and dignifies. We remain committed to expanding this partnership,” he stated.
Speaking on behalf of the graduands, Abba Kyari expressed gratitude to the management of the Nigerian Correctional Service and NOUN for providing inmates with the opportunity to pursue higher education while in custody.
“I appreciate the Controller-General of Corrections, the officers and men of the Kuje Custodial Centre, as well as the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN and the entire management team for this opportunity,” Kyari said. “Learning within the last few years has restored my sense of purpose and enabled us to achieve something that will be useful throughout our lifetime.”
The ceremony also featured counseling sessions on re-entry, skills acquisition, and community reintegration, as the graduates pledged to serve as ambassadors of positive change within and beyond the custodial system.
The event further underscored the Nigerian Correctional Service’s broader commitment to reformative justice, emphasizing rehabilitation over punishment through education and capacity building.
