From the inception of the Nigerian Prisons Service to date, it has had 20 heads.
The first seven Directors of Prisons (as the office was then termed) had British nationality.
With effect from 1st October, 1992 the office of the head of the Nigerian Prisons Service was changed from Director of Prisons to Controller-General of Prisons and the then Director of Prisons, J. O. Lily Ojo automatically became the first Controller-General of Prisons.
Below is a comprehensive list of all who had headed the Prisons in Nigeria, their years of entry and exit, and profile
Recommended: All You Need To Know Sbout The Nigerian Prisons Service
DIRECTORS OF PRISONS
| NAME | NATIONALITY | PERIOD | |
| 1 | C. W. DUNCAN | BRITISH | 29/10/1920 – 01/11/1921 |
| 2 | LT COL. E. L. SALIER | BRITISH | 02/11/1921 – 30/03/1925 |
| 3 | F. W. GARVEY | BRITISH | 31/03/1925 – 18/05/1932 |
| 4 | COL. V. L. MABB | BRITISH | 19/05/1932 – 03/07/1946 |
| 5 | R. H. DOLAN | BRITISH | 04/07/1946 – 29/03/1954 |
| 6 | M. C. M. K. CAREW | BRITISH | 30/03/1954 – 09/01/1961 |
| 7 | W. G. FRANCIS | BRITISH | 10/01/1961 – 30/04/1961 |
| 8 | CHIEF F. S. GIWA OSAGIE | NIGERIAN | 03/10/1961 – 30/04/1972 |
| 9 | J. I. ADAPOYI | NIGERIAN | 01/05/1972 – 12/09/1975 |
| 10 | A. A. AHMADU | NIGERIAN | 21/10/1975 – 14/01/1986 |
| 11 | MUSA A. EGU | NIGERIAN | 20/01/1986 – 31/05/1990 |
| 12 | J. O. LILY OJO | NIGERIAN | 01/06/1990 – 30/09/1992 |
CONTROLLERS-GENERAL OF PRISONS
| NAME | NATIONALITY | PERIOD | |
| 12 | J. O. LILY OJO | NIGERIAN | 01/10/1992 – 16/01/1995 |
| 13 | G. G. BAIDU | NIGERIAN | 17/01/1995 – 29/02/1996 |
| 14 | I. M. JARMA | NIGERIAN | 01/03/1996 – 31/07/2002 |
| 15 | A. I. AKPAN | NIGERIAN | 23/08/2002 – 15/02/2006 |
| 16 | O. U. KALU (ACTING) | NIGERIAN | 16/02/2006 – 29/06/2006 |
| 17 | O. A. OGUNDIPE, mni, OFR | NIGERIAN | 30/06/2006 – 31/12/2011 |
| 18 | ZAKARI IBRAHIM, mni, MFR | NIGERIAN | 01/01/2012 – 21/07/2014 |
| 19 | PETER E. EKPENDU, Ph.D, mni | NIGERIAN | 05/12/2014 – 17/05/2016 |
| 20 | JA’AFARU AHMED | NIGERIAN | 17/05/2016 – DATE |
The Nigerian Prisons Service Directors/Controllers-General From 1920 Till Date added by Media Nigeria on
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