The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NPS

  • Kuje jailbreak: ‘What the NPS Standing Orders say about escape’

    Ten days after two awaiting trial inmates kept in Kuje medium prison escaped, and their whereabouts is still unknown.

    The prisoners standing trial for murder, Maxwell Ajukwu and Solomon Amodu, escaped on Friday June, 24 by scaling the fence.

    Investigation revealed that since the incident happened, series of search have been going on across the country with the help of security operatives to recapture the escaped inmates.

    As the nation awaits the Preliminary Investigation Report, which its details will be made known by Wednesday according the NPS Public Relations Officer, (PRO) Frances Enobore, The Nation obtained what the NPS Standing Orders says on procedure for reporting escape and the investigation process.

    The official gazette Standing Orders under B 1451 number 46 h stated that where the superintendent-in-charge is found culpable or implicated in the findings of the Preliminary Investigation Report, the comptroller of prisons, state command shall through the zonal coordinator make recommendations to the Comptroller General of Prisons not later than twenty -one (21) days after the escape.

    It reads in part: “The controller of Prisons shall forward a summary of the Adjudication Proceedings directly to the office of the Comptroller General of Prisons and a copy to the Zonal coordinator not later than twenty-eight (28) days after the escape

    “The Zonal coordinator shall constitute a zonal disciplinary committee to review, make observations and recommendations on the contents of the Adjudication Proceedings and forward same to the office the Controller General of Prisons not later than thirty (30) days after escape.”

    Tight security is still been put in place to avoid further breakdown of law and order within and outside the prison yard.

    The minister of interior is said to be eager to know the outcome of the investigation.

  • No Prisoner escaped in Bus accident – NPS

    The Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Friday denied the escape of any prisoner in an accident that occurred along Mile 2, Badagry Express in Lagos.

    According to a statement issued in Abuja on the development by the NPS Public Relations Officer, Francis Enobore: “The attention of the Nigerian Prisons Service has been drawn to publications in some news media that a Prison Bus conveying some prisoners to court rammed into a stationary truck along Mile 2, Badagry Express in Lagos and that a number of prisoners escaped in the incident.

    “Whereas it is true that an accident involving a prison bus did happen along Badagry Express Way, the reported escape of prisoners in the vehicle is false.

    “To put the record straight, the prison bus left Badagry prison with 27 prisoners and had already dropped 26 of them in various courts leaving just 1 inmate and 5 staff including the driver in the vehicle when the accident occurred at about 1045hrs.

    “The inmate did not sustain any injury and was returned safely to the prison. A separate vehicle was deployed to evacuate the other 26 prisoners from their various courts back to the prison. Although 2 of the staff members and some occupants of the other vehicle with whom they collided had serious injuries, there was however no death. The injured are being attended to in hospitals and they are responding to treatment even as we fervently pray for their quick recovery.

    “While the unfortunate incident is highly regretted, it is important to restate that no prisoner escaped and none sustain any injury.”

  • Prisoners escape as service vehicle collides with truck in Lagos

    There was commotion in the Badagry area of Lagos State, following the fleeing of some prison inmates who were being taken to court.

    The incident was said to have occurred around 7am, at Beyuf Bus Stop on the Badagry Expressway, after a long bus belonging to the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) rammed into a Stationary truck.

    It was learnt that several persons sustained injuries and as the prison officers were trying to calm nerves, many of the inmates were said to have fled.

    At the time of filing this report, The Nation gathered that efforts were in top gear to arrest the escaped inmates, some of whom sustained injuries.

    An official of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) who pleaded anonymity the incident said the headlamp of the NPS was not bright and the driver did not see the stationary vehicle in good time.

    He alleged that the occupants of the bus were trapped inside for hours before the arrival of some people.

    “It rammed into the back of the truck headlong. Those inside the bus were trapped for sometime before one of the officials opened the door to allow rescuers carry out emergency work. Amidst the concussion, some of the prisoners escaped. The injured persons were taken to the hospital,” he said.

    An official of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) told our correspondent that the service has commenced manhunt for the escapees.

  • Prison officer arrested over N3.9m fraud

    Prison officer arrested over N3.9m fraud

    A Prison Assistant with the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), Onoja Osita Kingsley has been arraigned before Justice A.V. Agishir of the Federal High Court, Enugu over a three count charge.
    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned the suspect on charges of stealing, possession of fraudulent document and forgery to the tune of  three million, nine hundred thousand Naira (N3,900,000).
    The accused, Kingsley, allegedly orchestrated the fraudulent transfer of the sum of One Hundred and thirty two million, nine hundred thousand Naira (N132, 900,000.00)  from six customers accounts with a new generation bank.
    However, out of the said sum, Three Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N3, 900,000.00) was transferred into the account of one Uchenna Eze, which Onoja had opened with forged documents at the Olu Obasanjo Road branch of Access Bank Plc, in Port Harcourt, River State.
    He subsequently withdrew the sum of One Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira (N140, 000, 00) from the account.
    Kingsley was arrested on the 12th of January 2015 in Enugu State where he had gone to withdraw the balance of the stolen money.
    He pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him.
    Justice Agishir adjourned the matter to October 28, 2015 for hearing of bail application and remanded the accused in EFCC custody.
  • Why jailbreak is rampant, by NPS

    Why jailbreak is rampant, by NPS

    The Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) has attributed the increasing cases of jailbreak in recent time to the location of prisons in residential areas.

    The location of prisons within towns and other residential areas allows easy access to such facilities, a senior prison official, Patrick Ani said in Abuja.

    Ani, who represented the NPS at a stakeholders meeting put together by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on how to address growing congestion and insecurity in prisons, said measures aimed at addressing the problem of incessant jailbreak should consider the location of prisons.

    “When prisons are located within towns or cities, inmates are bound to have frequent and unwarranted visitors, who can infiltrate the prisons with substances that could aid jailbreaks,” he said.

    NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Professor Bem Angwe expressed concern over the recurring incidents of attacks on prison and jailbreaks, which he said, has  attendant implications on national security and citizens’ confidence in justice administration in the country.

    Angwe cautioned that the incessant strike by court workers, which has negative effect on the preservation of citizens’ human rights, was capable of eroding the people’s confidence in the judicial process, as it currently inhibits access to justice.

    He said the meeting was part of his commission’s consultation with stakeholders with a view to finding solutions to these national challenges. “The outcome of the consultation will be to convene a summit where relevant stakeholders will brainstorm and agree on concrete measures that must be undertaken to address the issue of security,” he said.

    Former Ekiti State Attorney General and member, Governing Council of the NHRC Olawale Fapohunda said the planned summit will address ways of reversing the current infrastructural decay in the prisons; inadequacies of the legal framework, with negative impact on the prisons; institutional reform of the prison, condition of service of prison officers, among others.

    He said the problem of prison congestion remains very crucial and must be properly addressed because it is mostly responsible for further problems generally envisaged in the nation’s prison.

    Also speaking, a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Mary Bayeikusi attributed the persistent delay in the criminal justice administration process to include arbitrary arrest and detention by security agencies and inadequate funding, among others.

    She advocated for alternative source of funding for the Nigeria Prison Service to enable it address its overwhelming problems, part of which includes jailbreak, which now poses a serious threat to national security.

    A representative of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, Zakari Majinyawa said the NSA has introduced a new security strategy that now emphasizes human security. He hailed NHRC’s plan for a summit on how to address problems associated with the prisons and their implications for national security.

  • Prison nabs man over job syndicate

    The Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) has arrested James Odeh for involvement in a job scam.

    Odeh, with another person that specialises in issuing fake letters of appointment to unsuspecting job seekers, was nabbed by the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Prisons Service in Abuja.

    Before his arrest, Odeh is said to have issued about 400 applicants with fake appointment letters into the Nigerian Prisons Service.

    A statement by the NPS spokesman, Francis Enobore, said: “31 of the victims besieged the National Headquarters of the Prisons Service with fake letters of appointment for documentation on Friday 20th February.

    “Investigation, however, revealed that they were duped by conmen who posed as members of ‘replacement board’ of the service.”

  • Riot: Prison Service raises probe panel

    Riot: Prison Service raises probe panel

    • Confirms one dead, six injured

    The Nigeria Prison Service (NPS) yesterday said one inmate died and six others were injured during the riot at the Kirikiri Medium Security Prison on Friday.

    Out of the six, three had been discharged and three still in the hospital.

    It insisted that the incident was a riot and not a jailbreak because none of the 2,517 inmates at the prison escaped.

    It, however, said the Acting Comptroller-General of Prison (CGP), Aminu Sule, has raised a panel, headed by Assistant Comptroller-General of Prison (Operations), to probe the riot.

    The panel, which is expected to submit its findings on or before

    Friday, has moved to Lagos.

    But extra-security measures have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the riot.

    The Public Relations Officer for the NPS, Mr. Ope Fatinikun, who gave update to our correspondent yesterday, said: “For record purpose, what happened at the prison on Friday was a riot and not a jailbreak as being insinuated. It took place at about 1.30pm.

    “During the riot, seven inmates were injured and taken to hospital. Out of the seven, it was unfortunate that one died on Saturday morning; three inmates were discharged and three others are still in the hospital.

    “The Acting CGP, Aminu Sule has raised a panel, headed by ACGP

    (Operations) to look into the remote and immediate causes behind the riot.”

    Responding to a question, Fatinikun added: “I cannot tell you the reasons or factors behind the riot; it is the job of the panel to do so. We hope that the panel will complete its assignment on or before Friday and we will make its findings known to the public.”

    Another prison source said: “I think the riot had to do with welfare issues, especially the congestion at the yard. Some are talking of lack of access to telephones but this is remote as a factor behind the riot because the prison rules and regulations are clearly spelt out to inmates.

    “We are not foreclosing all issues; we are already looking into it. The NPS management has directed that extra-security measures should be put in place at the Kirikiri Medium Prison.”

    The 1,700-capacity prison had 2,517 inmates as at the time the immediate past Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips (rtd) visited the yard on June 16 for Jail Delivery Exercise.

    Out of the 2,517 inmates, 2,382 were rated as awaiting trial with only 135 convicts.

    The former Chief Judge, who expressed concern about the congestion at the prison, could only set free 71 inmates.

  • Ex-Edo SSG hospitalised

    Former Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG) Dr. Simon Imuekheme has been hospitalised.

    Imuekheme and three former officials of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) were remanded in prison custody by a Benin High Court on Monday.

    They were arraigned on an eight-count of alleged diversion of N113 million SUBEB funds.

    Prison sources said Imuekheme was taken to the unnamed hospital for an unknown ailment.

    Spokesman of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) Aminu Suleiman said Imuekemhe was received by prisons officials on Monday afternoon.

    Aminu said Imuekheme took ill hours after he was brought in and requested for medical treatment outside the prisons complex.

    Imuekemhe’s request was granted yesterday by the prison authorities.

     

  • Reps lament effect of insecurity on tourism

    Insecurity in parts of the country is taking its toll on the development of the nation’s parks, Conservator-General of the National Park Service (NPS), Haruna Tanko told House of Representatives Committee on Environment yesterday.

    The Committee expressed dissatisfaction over challenges of inadequate funding facing the Parks.

    The NPS currently operates seven national parks across the country covering a land area of 24, 000 square kilometers.

    Tanko, who appeared before the House Committee on Environment to defend the agency’s budget and the level of 2013 budget implementation, said insecurity and infrastructural deficit were responsible for the shortfall in its revenue.

    Saying that the change in status to para-military agency has drastically affected the operations of the Service, Tanko added: “The National Park Service has been playing a crucial role in intelligence gathering for the country’s military in the Northeast and the forest bothering Chad and Cameroun,

    “Since we have been upgraded to a para-military agency by the President, we have been working closely with other security outfits as well as have a joint boarder patrol.

    “National parks are located in the rural areas and mostly in the borders between Nigeria and other African countries. In most cases, when there are cases of insecurity, especially coming from those areas, there is always collaboration between us (and other agencies in terms of patrolling the areas.

    “The national parks and the ranchers are familiar with the terrain. For the military, it’s very difficult for them having access in the areas. In most cases, they work hand-in-hand with our staff.

    “We have acquired security vehicles, bikes, bicycle and even horses for proper surveillance because that is the only way to effectively protect the various parks in the country from criminals and insurgents”.

    He regretted that insecurity and infrastructure deficit have been a challenge to maximizing the potentials of the Parks, “The park realised N32,533,680m as against the N47,500m projected for 2013, he added.

     

  • Contract ‘fraud’ suit: Minister, prison boss get two weeks to respond

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has given the Minister of Interior, the Comptroller-General of Prisons, the Nigerian Prison Service and two others two weeks of grace to respond to a suit against them, failing which it would give judgment.

    The suit filed by a firm, Jeph International Nigeria Limited, alleges underhand dealings in respect of a multi-million naira contract for the building of a prison in Nnewi, Anambra State.

    The plaintiff alleged that some senior personnel of the Ministry of Interior and the Prison Service were planning to re-award the contract to a new set of contrators with links with the said officials.

    On Monday, plaintiff’s lawyer, Okey Uzor told the court that the defendants were yet to respond to the suit. He stressed the consequences to the defendants should they fail to avail themselves of the opportunity to defend the suit.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole elected to give the defendants time to respond and adjourned to December 17 for hearing in the case instead of proceeding to deliver judgment.

    The firm stated, in documents filed in court, that the contract was awarded to it in 1983 but that it began works in 1985 and was able to self-finance the project up to 50 per cent completion.

    The contract was for the building of the 80-bed medium security prison, observation tower, access road and perimeter fencing for the prison in Nnawi.

    The firm added that it later suspended works on the project due to paucity of funds and with the understanding and assurance of the Ministry of Interior and Prison Services that it would be remobilised to site as soon as funds were available.

    It exhibited a letter, containing the assurance, from Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) dated January 15, 1998 signed on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Prisons by the Chief Superintendent of Prisons (Works), M. M. Ukah.

    The firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Anago-Amanze stated, in a supporting affidavit, that they were taken aback to learn that rather than keep to its pledge to provide funds for his company to resume works on the project, the Comproller-General of Prisons this year, allegedly authorised the invitation of fresh bids for the same project.

    He averred that the new moves to re-award its valid and subsisting contract was meant to ensure that the project was given to proxies of some senior officials of the Prisons Service, the Interior Ministry and Ministry of Works.

    The firm, in a motion for interlocutory injunctions, has asked the court to among others, restrain the defndants from proceeding with its plans to reaward the contract pending the determination of its substantive suit.

    It is part of the plaintiff’s contention in the main suit that the defendants can not justify the purported cancellation of its contract on the pretext that its award violated the Public Procurement Act 2007. It argued that since the Act can not be applied retrospectively, it cannot by applied to a contract awarded over 20 years before the law was enacted.