ABUJA: National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Correctional Service NCoS, DCC Umar Danlami Abubakar, has drawn the curtain on a distinguished 35-year career, departing the Service in a blaze of tributes that underscored his impact on modern correctional administration.
At a warm and elegant farewell dinner held Thursday in Abuja, Controller General of Corrections, CGC Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, hailed the retiring spokesman as an officer whose intellect, commitment and character had become woven into the fabric of the Service.
The CGC noted that the event transcended a mere book presentation, describing it instead as “a moment to pause and reflect on the ideals of who we are as a Service – examining what we do, how we do it and why it truly matters.”
Nwakuche praised the newly unveiled book, The Quintessential Correctional Officer – authored by Umar and co-written with Bashir Adamu – as a timely and enduring contribution to the ongoing transformation of the NCoS.
“To exit a Service while gifting it a compass for those who will come after you is an act of profound honour. You have served well, and I wish you well”, he said.
Welcoming guests earlier, Chairman of the Retirement Committee, DCG Ahmed Adagiri, said the evening was organized to celebrate an officer whose tenure as PRO shaped positive national perceptions of the Service, even at the most challenging moments.
He said Umar’s calm professionalism, clarity of communication and loyalty to institutional ideals had left an imprint difficult to replicate.
For his part, Umar said the book was conceived not merely to describe the duties of a correctional officer but to interrogate the philosophical foundations of the profession.
“This work questions assumptions, provides context and elevates the very idea of correctional practice,” he said.
He explained that the book demonstrates that correctional officers are not only implementers of policy but intellectual actors capable of influencing national discourse on rehabilitation.
“In such a complex environment, rules alone cannot guide us. What we need, and what this book offers, is a thoughtful philosophy that roots our work in service, humanity and professionalism”, he stated.
Umar’s departure, though marking the end of a formal career, signals the beginning of a deeper legacy etched in service, scholarship and the evolving identity of the Nigerian correctional ecosystem.
