President Goodluck Jonathan has removed the Comptroller General of Prisons, Aminu Suleh, and announced an immediate replacement.
His removal on Friday came days after a prison was attacked in Ekiti State, by gunmen believed to be members of the Boko Haram terrorist group.
More than 400 inmates were set free in the attack carried out on Sunday at about 11:30pm, local time.
President Jonathan approved the appointment of Dr Peter Ezenwa Ekpendu as the new Comptroller General of Prisons.
Profile
The new Comptroller General of Prisons is from Ibeku Okwuato in Mbaise Local Government area of Imo State in south-east Nigeria.
He had his Primary school Education at St Patrick’s School Ibeku, Okwuato in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area while his Secondary School education was at Mbaise Secondary School, Aboh Mbaise. He had his Teachers’ Training College Education at Azaraegbelu Teachers’ Training College Emekuku, Owerri.
His tertiary education was at University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he obtained his B.Sc (Hons) in 1981, MED in 1984 and PHD in 1988. Dr. Ekpendu also attended the Prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategy Studies (NIPSS) Kuru Jos in 2007.
Before his present appointment as the Comptroller General, he held various positions in the prisons.
He was Deputy Commandant Prisons Training, College, Lagos-1991-1994; Officer-in-Charge of Umuahia-1995-1996; Officer in charge of Owerri Prisons-1997-1998 and Deputy Comptroller of Prisons Training, Prisons Headquarters 1999.
He was also Comptroller of Prisons Pension, Prisons Headquarters – 2000; Comptroller of Prisons of Enugu State 2001-2003, Imo State 2003-2005 and Delta State 2006.
He was promoted Assistant Comptroller General of Prisons (Operations) 2008 and was deployed as Zonal Coordinator Zone D, Minna – 2009-2010 and he became Deputy Comptroller General (ITP) in 2011.
Before his new appointment, he was made Deputy Comptroller General (Administration) in 2012.