The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prison inmates

  • Weird tales of prison inmates

    • Bizarre reasons they are in custody

    INNOCENT DURU, who visited some prisons in Lagos State, reports on the strange reasons some inmates are in custody. They range from the funny to the bizarre.

    Ayobami, an inmate of Ikoyi Prison, has innocence written all over his face as he walks about the prison yard in his fragile frame. But under the façade of innocence is a young man who has soiled his hands in heinous crimes.

    Prior to our correspondent’s encounter with him, his fellow inmates had addressed him as Aje’yan (a Yoruba word for man eater). The weird appellation sent a rude shock into the reporter who broke all barriers to chat with the celebrated cannibal.

    How did he come about the dreadful name he is called in prison? This and many more questions ran through the reporter’s mind as he anxiously waited to chat with the young man. Before long, Ayobami sauntered in, beaming the trade mark smile that belied his shocking adventure.

    Explaining how he came about the dreadful name, the 20-year-old said it emanated from an evil venture that took him to the prison.

    He said: “I am in prison because I used to kidnap children aged between two and three years. I was doing it for my boss together with two other boys. My boss is a fashion designer and we were apprentices under him. But his fashion designing job is only a cover-up. His primary business is kidnapping. He gave us rings laced with juju to kidnap children.

    “We would place the ring on the head of any child we wanted to kidnap, and the moment we did that, the child would vanish from the spot and appear in my boss’ secret room. He sold the kidnapped children to people who used them for rituals.”

    Speaking on his area of operation and the amount he collected for each child he kidnapped, Ayobami said: “I operated around Agege area and was paid N6,000 for every child that I kidnapped. I did that successfully for some time before I was caught.

    “I was caught when I tried to kidnap a child, not knowing that I did not wear my ring. I placed my hand on the girl’s head but she did not vanish. Before I knew it, the girl screamed and attracted people in the area.

    “My two other colleagues escaped but I was not so lucky. At that point, it dawned on me that the game was up for me. I was beaten thoroughly and handed over to the police. The police have gone to check my boss’ house but they didn’t see him.”

    He told The Nation that since the police failed to locate his boss, they had not made any effort to do further investigation by using him to trace his boss; a kidnap kingpin masquerading as a fashion designer.

    “I have been in the prison for about three years now. It appears I have been forgotten here. I have been used as a sacrificial lamb.”

    Asked the whereabouts of his partners in the illicit business, Abayomi said he did not know. His frightening narration immediately became a subject of discussion and joke as everybody avoided body contacts with the young man for fear that they could disappear.

    If Ayobami’s story evokes fear, the one about an okada (commercial motorcycle) rider and inmate of Badagry Prison would offer some comic relief. The young man told our correspondent how his romance with a woman he did not know was married landed him in the prison where he had remained for five months.

    His said: “I went to the lady’s shop to buy something and fell in love with her. She started coming to my house and would sometimes spend a whole week with me. I never knew she was married, not to talk of having three children.

    “She told me that she fell in love with me from what she perceived after looking at my trouser. We made love on many occasions and had a good time together.”

    The young man said after some years of dating each other, she started suspecting that the lady was seeing another man.

    He said: “My problem with her began when I started seeing her with another man. I was not happy about the development because I loved her so much. I subsequently found that she was married with children, but the man I saw her with was not her husband.

    “Later, she invited the police to arrest me. The police charged me to court for threatening her life. That is why I have been in prison for the past five months. She has also been coming to court and I have been appealing to her to have mercy on me by striking out the case.

    “I know she still fears that I could harm her, but I have no such plans. I used to call her Mama. Each time she comes to court, I would say, ‘Mama, please, help me.’ I can see that she is disposed to allowing me to regain my freedom. I hope that would happen very soon.”

    Asked if he would like to continue his affair with Mama when he is released, he retorted: “The moment I regain my freedom, I will pack my bags and run away from Lagos. I feel ashamed that it is this kind of thing that brought me to prison. It is not a story I would want to tell my children at all.”

    Another inmate of Badagry Prison was seen weeping profusely over his detention in the prison. His offence: he beat his child and had been in prison custody for nine months at the time the reporter visited. To worsen matters, his file was said to be missing.

    He said: “I have been here for nine months for beating my child. My business has suffered all this while just because of that. They have not taken me to court in the past five months. How long will I continue to be in this condition?”

    One of his fellow inmates, Ifeanyi, told The Nation that the child he flogged belonged to his estranged wife.

    “The mother of the child was no more with him. He had since remarried. After beating the child, the mother learnt about it and got him arrested. He has been here for nine months.”

    One of the Badagry Prison inmates who gave his name as Ubah, said he was detained for an offence termed Obtaining By Trick (OBT) after he collected N41,000 from a female client to help her print money (money doubling).

    Ubah, who said he had been in the prison since May, 2015, said: “I collected the sum of N41,000 from the lady to do money doubling for her. When the deal did not work out as planned, she got me arrested and claimed that I collected N1.3 million from her to supply her handsets. That is what I am battling with; not the real issue I had with her.

    “I don’t have a lawyer representing me in court. To make matters worse, I don’t have anybody here in Lagos. I am worried about my wife who gave birth through Caesarean Section (CS).”

    Another Ikoyi Prison inmate, who identified himself simply as Alfa, said he was in the prison for murder.

    “My own case is murder,” he said as he began his story. “I was having an issue with somebody and we started fighting. In the course of fighting, I saw a broken bottle and thrust it into his neck. The next thing I saw was blood gushing out. He died as a result. I did not know it could lead to that at all.

    “I wasn’t an alfa before I came to the prison. It was while listening to preaching by Islamic clerics that I became an alfa.”

  • NGO accuses security agents over deaths of prison inmates

    The Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (Cure-Nigeria) yesterday in Kano lamented that out of over 70, 000 prisoners in Nigeria, more than 50, 000 awaiting trial, may be innocent of their alleged offences.

    Speaking during a joint-news conference with the Kano branch Chairman of the Prison Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), the Executive Directive of CURE-Nigeria, Mr. Sylvester Uhaa, accused law enforcement agencies of being responsible for deaths and sufferings of prisoners who are unjustly detained and denied access to their families and legal aid counsels.

    He decried that most  inmates languishing in prisons without trial were denied access to justice.

    According to him, most of the over 50, 000 people languishing in prisons without trial are innocent of the alleged offences. This number does not include the thousands of undocumented people in police cells and other detention facilities around the country.

    “Many of these people would die in these facilities without anyone being held accountable because their families are not even aware that they are held in these facilities. This is because our law enforcement agencies violate the basic legal provision which mandates them to assist arrested persons to contact his or her family or legal counsel upon arrest.”

    He added that, “the fight against corruption in Nigeria cannot be complete without addressing the corruption and abuse of power in the criminal justice system, particularly during the pre-trial detention period.

    “This is because the pre-trial phase receives less scrutiny than subsequent stages of the criminal justice process, giving too much discretion and power to the lowest paid and most junior actors in the system.

    “These have destroyed the credibility of our government that is committed to fighting corruption to address the corruption and abuse of power in the justice system and restore its integrity.

    “We call all stakeholders, particularly the police and the judiciary in Kano State to check all forms of corruption, abuse of power and due process in the criminal justice system in the state and to hold to account those who violate human rights and engage in corrupt practices.”

    Uhaa explained that the growing prison population in the country was due to the neglect of the Federal Government and its inability to invest in the welfare of prison inmates which leads to frustration and stigmatisation of the prisoners.

    “Low investment in welfare spending of prisoners leads to marginalisation, exclusion, poverty and results in high crime rates,” he added.

    He kicked against Federal Government’s policy on building and equ`

    “So, our message to Kano State is that the state should invest more on welfare and social programmes such as education, job creation, infrastructure and poverty alleviation programmes than in arming security agencies. Guns and more guns alone cannot effectively fight crime.”

    He also condemned the possession of illegal firearms and light weapons by Nigerians, which out of 500 million illegal arms and light weapons in West Africa, a whopping 350 million are in Nigeria.

    Uhaa, therefore, commended the recent mopping up of illegal fire arms exercise by the Nigeria Police Force.

  • Cleric administers sacrament on 14 prison inmates in Anambra

    Archbishop Valerian Okeke of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha yesterday administered the Sacrament of Confirmation on 14 inmates of Onitsha Prison to mark Year 2018 Easter.

    Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.

    Its administration, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), is to enable the faithful to be filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit to further strengthen them in their Christian life.

    Okeke, in a sermon at the occasion, stressed that Easter was the hallmark of Christian faith.

    He added that the death and resurrection power of Christ was an assurance of hope for Christians.

    According to him, Christians should reflect on the sufferings and perseverance of Jesus Christ as a realisation that there is no hopeless case with God.

    He urged the inmates to continue to put their hopes in God and see their incarceration as temporal.

    Twelve men and two female inmates received the sacrament of confirmation.

  • ‘322 prisons inmates registered for WASSCE’

    ‘322 prisons inmates registered for WASSCE’

    A total of 322 inmates from Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons in Lagos registered for the West African Senior Secondary Examination (WASSCE) in the last three years.

    The Controller of Prisons, Lagos State Command, Mr. Tunde Ladipo, disclosed this on Tuesday.

    The controller said inmates only sat for WASSCE for private candidates for ordinary level certificate.

    Ladipo said 206 of the inmates were from Ikoyi Prison, while 116 were from the Kirikiri Prison, Apapa.

    According to the controller, 75 inmates of Ikoyi Prison registered for the 2017 WASSCE for private candidates.

    He said 65 and 66 inmates of Ikoyi Prison sat for the examination in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

    Ladipo said 20 inmates of the Maximum Security Prison, Kirikiri, sat for the examination in 2015 while 25 sat for it last year.

    “17 inmates of the Medium Security Prison, Kirikiri, sat for the examination in 2015 while 21 took it in 2016,” the prison controller added.

    NAN

     

  • Prison inmates get drugs, clothing materials

    The Nasarawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has donated drugs, clothing materials and toiletries to inmates of Federal Prison, Lafia.

    Presenting the items, Executive Secretary of the board, Mr Abubakar Nalaraba, said the gesture was to enable the inmates benefit from the blessings of the Holy Month of Ramadan.

    Nalaraba said the gift was also in response to an earlier visit to the board by the Nasarawa State Comptroller of Prisons, where he solicited for partnership.

    “We are partnering with the authorities of the Prison Service in the state to enhance the welfare of inmates,” Nalaraba said.

    Nasarawa state Deputy Superintendent of Prisons Obeten Otor, who represented Mr Comptroller of Prisons Ekwere Ekanem, thanked the board for the gesture.

    Otor appealed to other public-spirited individuals and organisations, to also assist the inmates.

  • ‘How Ikoyi prison inmates fared in UTME’

    ‘How Ikoyi prison inmates fared in UTME’

    THE Principal of the Ikoyi Prison School, Mr Ibikunle Idris, yesterday disclosed that about 36 out of 59 inmates who sat for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scored 180 and above.

    Idris  said the performance of the inmates, in spite of their being in incarceration, was impressive.

    He said that one of the inmates scored 236; the highest among candidates in the school during the examination.

    “The highest score among the inmates we presented for the 2017 UTME is 236.

    “I am impressed with this year’s performance, compared to last year’s performance in the same examination in terms of average.

    “The 59 candidates that wrote this year’s examination is an improvement over 36 persons that registered in 2016,” the principal said.

    He attributed the success story to “the new penchant for learning” demonstrated by the inmates.

    According to him, the efforts put in by various individual volunteer teachers from within and outside the facility also contributed to the performance of the inmates.

    He said the prison authorities also improved their facilities, which enhanced qualitative teaching.

    The principal also commended JAMB for assisting the school with 60 computers and accessories for the conduct of the UTME.

    Idris said that the prison authorities were following up the academic progress of some inmates that were recently released as part of its aftercare service. We are still getting in touch with them. “We try to follow them up and offer guidelines on what to do at every given point in time. “Recently, three of them, who had left the facility, called to seek assistance on how to further their education.

    ” The principal, however, pleaded with relevant government authorities to assist the facility with a befitting Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre. “With a well-equipped CBT centre in the facility, the inmates can be effectively trained on how to apply the computer during major external examinations. “Most external examination now, aside GCE, are CBT based,” he said. Also speaking, the Deputy Controller of Prisons (DCP) at the Ikoyi facility, Mr Julius Ezeugwu, described the performance of the inmates as `heartwarming’.

    He appealed to NGOs and other public-spirited individuals to support the facility in the area of educational programmes for the inmates. “Government cannot do it alone, but if we can get support from voluntary organisations and individuals, we will have more inmates sitting for examinations and we will record better performance.

    “In all, we will not relent in our efforts to ensure that their welfare is given topmost priority,” Ezeugwu said. NAN reports that inmates that are successful in the UTME have the opportunity to enrol in the National Open University of Nigeria for further studies while still serving their terms.

  • Lagos CJ frees 66 prison inmates

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, on Tuesday freed 66 awaiting trial inmates of the Kirikiri Medium Security Prison.

    The gesture is part of Lagos government’s efforts to decongest prisons in the state.

    All those granted freedom were in prison for non-capital offences and have been in custody for upwards of nine months.

    They were all released based on the powers conferred on the Chief Judge under section 1(1) Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provisions Act Cap 40, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2007.

    Justice Atilade, who was expected to free only 35 inmates, later increased the number to 66 after prison officials prevailed on her to consider 31 other inmates picked from under bridges and streets of Lagos in order to decongest the heavily populated prison.

    Over 100 requests for amnesty were received by the amnesty committee headed by the chief judge out of which only 35 were approved.

    Admonishing the freed inmates to go and sin no more, Justice Atilade said the only way to reciprocate the gesture is for them to be of good conduct henceforth.

    “You are hereby released from this prison today, May 9, 2017. Go and sin no more,” she said.

    Justice Atilade said the objective of the exercise is not only to decongest the prison but to also ensure that the freed inmates are truly reformed and  contribute meaningfully to the society.

     

  • 70 percent prison inmates awaiting trials, says Minister

    OVER 70 percent prison inmates are awaiting trials, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) has stated.

    He spoke at opening ceremony of a workshop on the effective and efficient implementation of the administration of Criminal Justice Act for Judges and Magistrates by a justice advocacy group, Access to Justice (A2Justice), in Abuja.

    Malami said his office is collaborating with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) to improve access to justice for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

    The minister added government was committed to the effective implementation of the ACJ Act despite present challenges.

    “It is indeed saddening that over 70 per cent prison inmates as it is today are awaiting trials.

    “The office of the HAGF is currently collaborating with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) to improve access to justice for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

    “This is aimed at addressing the legal and human rights needs of IDP’s in the Northeast to ensure that they can have access to justice.”

    Acting chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu called for quick implementation of the ACJ Act to assist the commission in the fight against corruption.

    Magu, who was represented by Head, Legal and Prosecution in the EFCC, Gbolahan Latona, also said implementation of the ACJ Act would improve justice delivery and help reduce corruption to the barest minimum.

  • 80% of prison inmates are awaiting trial, says centre

    A report has shown that more than 80 percent of prison inmates in the country are awaiting trials, owing to unwholesome criminal justice system in the country.

    The report released by the Centre for Crisis Communication(CCC) to mark its one year noted the relevance of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) the country’s security architecture that it should not be toyed with as the agency statutorily responsible for holding convicted offenders.

     The Executive Secretary of the Centre, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas  said the remaining 20 per cent represents convicted prisoners, stressing that apart from the convicted offenders, the prisons also provide abode for those who are still awaiting trials for various crimes and offences ranging from pick-pocketing to terrorism.

     Identifying the prisons as “very sensitive and important security institution”, Anas said the prisons must be accorded its place of priority and strategic importance in the overall interest of the society.”

     The centre expressed dismay over reported cases of security breaches that led to attempted and actual prisons breaks across the country, adding that an assessment of a number of prisons revealed a dire situation of prison facilities.

     It observed that apart from the obsolete and debilitating state of most of the prisons, “there is an apparent shortage or inadequacy of the holding facilities resulting to congestion and most times over stretched with mostly awaiting trial inmates.”

  • Lagos CJ frees 153 prison inmates

    Lagos CJ frees 153 prison inmates

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade Wednesday granted freedom to 153 awaiting trial inmates of the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium prisons.

    The inmates who have been awaiting trial for three years and above were released under the prerogative of power vested on her pursuant to provision of section 1(1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision Act Cap C40, 2007 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria‎.

    While 24 of the inmates were released from the Maximum prison, 129 were released from the medium prison.

    Among the 129 inmates released from the Medium prison, 79 were standing trial for capital offences while 50 were standing trial for minor offences.

    Three of the inmates released from the Medium prison have been awaiting trial for over 16 years.

    Justice Atilade in her remark said the amnesty extended to the released inmates was part of her statutory duty to continuously ensure that the prisons are decongested.

    She urged the beneficiaries of her amnesty exercise to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring that they do not engage in any activity that would return back to crime.

    The Chief Judge also enjoined all relevant stakeholders in the justice sector to join the prison decongestion effort by taking up pro bono service for those who cannot pay for lawyers.

    Justice Atilade was accompanied on the visit by senior judges from the state judiciary, officials of the Lagos Ministry of Justice, members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, various Non Governmental Organisation and representatives of the Nigerian Police.

    In his remark, the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Seye Oduntan thanked the CJ for the amnesty gesture.

    He pleaded with the CJ to ensure that the programme is a continuous one as more inmates who qualify for the exercise still abound in the prison.

    The Lagos State Controller of Prisons, Timothy Tinuoye pleaded with Justice Atilade to use her office to prevail on the authority concerned to do something about 171 condemned prisoners awaiting execution in the Maximum security prison.

    Recalling the condemnation that followed the decision of the Edo state government approving execution of some condemned criminals a few years ago, Tinuoye lamented that every governor have since then refused to sign the warrant for the execution of the condemned criminals.

    He pleaded that if governments are not ready to execute them, the authority concerned should move them out of Lagos in order to decongest the Prison.

    The Kirikiri Maximum Prison built with a capacity for 1,056 presently has 1235 inmates. While 772 of the inmates are awaiting trial, 83 are serving life sentence, 209 have been convicted while 171 are condemned prisoners.

    At the Medium prison which has a 1700 cell capacity, 2853 inmates are currently at the prison. Out of this, 2,726 are awaiting trial, 128 have been convicted, 25 are lodgers, 19 are detainees while only one inmate is condemned.