The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prison inmates

  • Chief Judge releases 56 prison inmates in Kaduna

    Chief Judge releases 56 prison inmates in Kaduna

    The Kaduna State Chief Judge, Justice Tanimu Zailani, on Wednesday released 56 inmates from the Kaduna Central prison as part of efforts to decongest prisons in the state.

    The Chief Judge attributed the high number of inmates to the failure of judges to be fair and just in the discharge of their duties.

    He stressed that only justice would prevent the current situation where people were sent to jail for trivial offences.

    “Most of the prisoners are in prison for simple theft, but were branded with armed robbery just to keep them in prison.

    “As Judges, we are supposed to be professionals and should not be found truncating justice in whatever guise. We are expected to uphold justice and that is what we must do.

    “For those with offence of court contempt, you can punish the offenders’ right there in the court. There is no need putting them in jail, “he said.

    On those released, Zailani explained that they were first time offenders arrested for non capital offences, those unable to meet their bail conditions, and those whose case records were neither with the Ministry of Justice nor the Police.

    “As such there was no point keeping them in jail. Other offences were mainly court contempt that the judges could have settled them in court,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 82 inmates appeared before the Chief Judge for review of their cases, out of which 26 were turned down because of the criminal nature of their offences.

    NAN also reports that the Kaduna central prison, established in 1915 for 547 inmates, currently has a total of 954 prisoners as at March 16.

    Out of the figure, 576 are awaiting trial; 241 convicted; 103 condemned to death and 28 on life sentence, among others.

     

  • Senate frowns at N200 feeding allowance for inmates

    Senate frowns at N200 feeding allowance for inmates

    The Senate Tuesday described as inhuman and unacceptable the practice of feeding inmates with N200 per day.

    The upper chamber said that its findings showed that N130 is actually spent to feed each inmate per day.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Usman Bayero Nafada, stated this at a budget defence session with the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau, in Abuja.

    The Nation reported on Monday about emerging uneasiness in the Nigeria Prisons Service over the shortfall in ration vote in the 2016 budget proposal.

    Officials of Interior Ministry, the Nigeria Prisons Service and ration contractors were said to have expressed concern about the shortfall.

    Nafada said that his committee will take up the issue of feeding of inmates with relevant authorities to ensure that the right thing was done.

    He said, “N200 per inmate per day is unacceptable. If you look at it you are actually feeding each inmate with N130 per day.

    “When you remove Value Added Tax, contractors’ profit and other corporate services, the N200 comes to about N130 to feed one inmate in a day.

    “It is inhuman to feed a human being with N130 in day. What can anybody use N130 to buy? With N130 no inmate can come out of the prison better.”

    He insisted that feeding of inmates is one area the committee wanted the ministry to introduce a major improvement saying “we want the inmate to come out better than they went in.”

    He said that the committee is happy that the Federal Government is considering increasing the feeding allowance to N450 per day.

    He noted that though the N450 is still not enough, it is good enough to begin with.

    Danbazau told the committee that the ministry is considering for the long run the revival of farm centre like fish pond, poultry and others which he said would help to feed the inmates.

    The committee also queried the projection of N215 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for 2016 when the ministry generated N1.1726 billion in 2015.

    On personnel cost,  with the vote of N3,678, 178,610, the committee wanted to know whether the ministry wanted to employ new staff since it got N1,009,562, 803 in 2015.

    The committee wanted to know what the ministry wanted to do with a variation between 2016-2015 of N2, 668,615,707.

    On accommodation of Civil Defence operatives which a member of the committee, Senator Obinna Ogba, drew the attention of the minister to, Danbazau assured that the ministry would look into it.

    Senator Ogba had complained bitterly that where the Civil Defence operatives are quartered in Ebonyi State is not befitting enough.

  • 67 Ekiti prison inmates rearrested

    67 Ekiti prison inmates rearrested

    •Fayose seeks officers’ sack

    Aixty-seven inmates who escaped from the Federal Prisons, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Sunday, have been rearrested.

    Scores of gunmen stormed the Ado-Ekiti Prisons, detonated a bomb and launched an attack that lasted 45 minutes.

    Governor Ayo Fayose told reporters that over 300 inmates escaped.

    Police spokesman Victor Babayemi, who briefed reporters in Ado-Ekiti, said “the very notorious ones facing murder and robbery charges” were among those rearrested.

    Babayemi said the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) leader, Niyi Adedipe, a.k.a. Apase, and the state chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN), Bayo Aderiye, a.k.a. Ojugo, did not escape.

    The spokesman said the Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, led a patrol team to a “notorious spot”, where 10 of the escapees were arrested after what he called a “serious exchange of gunfire”.

    He said the escapees were picked up in various parts of the state, noting that efforts were still on to apprehend those at large.

    Those rearrested are to be charged with jailbreak.

    “The CP led a team on Monday night to some of the hideouts and there was an exchange of gunfire. We had an intelligence report on where they were hiding.

    “At that notorious spot, 10 of them were rearrested but no life was lost. But I want to add that investigation continues,” Babayemi said, adding:

    “Operation is still ongoing, the DPOs are still bringing their reports and we have also asked the prison authorities to give us the actual number of the escapees.

    “Some of them said they ran for cover to escape being hit by bullets. Apase and Ojugo did not leave the prison. They were not among the notorious ones rearrested.

    “The attackers opened the cell doors and told them to escape. It was not a natural occurrence; some people are behind the attack. We are investigating it to determine if there was any complicity.”

    Fayose has called for the transfer of all officers of the prison for their alleged negligence and dereliction of duty.

    The governor, during a visit to the facility, was angry with the officials for allegedly allowing inmates access to telephones and other electronic gadgets.

    “The way and manner the bloody attack of Sunday night was successfully carried out without much resistance suggested connivance,” he said.

    Fayose wondered why the prison authorities failed to use the tower at the facility.

    The Commissioner of Police has expressed the Force’s readiness to assist the prison in strengthening security around the premises.

    Lakanu said it was apparent that the combatant men and arms squad unit of the prisons could not alone manage the security situation at the facility.

    Lakanu said the escapee inmates, who were picked up in various towns, such as Ido-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti, were being detained at various police stations across the state.

    The attack has affected court  cases involving inmates at the Magistrate’s Courts and High Courts in the Ado-Ekiti Judicial Division.

  • Photo: Lagos state chief judge frees Kirikiri inmates

  • ‘Awaiting Trial inmates our major problem’

    It was moment of excitement for inmates of the Kuje Maximum Prison when they were re-assured that their current situation was temporary. They were encouraged to be hopeful that they could still achieve greatness when they regain their freedom. Those were messages of hope on Easter Monday which will remain indelible in the minds of the inmates who danced to the rhythm of soul-lifting music, even as they participated in other fun-filled activities to commemorate the season. The event was organised by Wazobia FM, a popular radio station in Abuja. Tagged ‘Prison Break’, the event aimed at encouraging the inmates to remain focused while their matters are on in the various law courts. Expressing his worry over the prevailing criminal justice system in the country, the Controller of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Command, Mr. Kasali Yusuf said out of over 640 inmates, about 500 are on the Awaiting Trial list in Kuje Prison, adding that the facility has 16 Condemned Criminals (CC). Yusuf revealed that the high number of inmates on the Awaiting Trial list has been a major concern for the prison management; even as he said efforts are on to ensure their trials are not unnecessarily delayed. He said: “The Chief Judge of the FCT, Justice Bukar Ibrahim has given a matching order to the judges under him to ensure that the issue of awaiting trial is resolved. “Our major challenge here is the number of inmates who are on Awaiting Trial list and who have stayed too long in this prison. The fact that they are in prison does not mean that all hope is lost. Quite a number of them who are in prison are for the benefit of all. And most of them are Awaiting Trial and by the Nigerian law the Awaiting Trial inmates are still innocent until proven guilty by a competent law court. “Being in prison does not indicate that all hope is lost.. Some of the inmates are here as a result of youthful exuberant, association with bad gangs, which consequence they do not know. “Some inmates have spent up to 10 years and above on the Awaiting Trail list. But since the Chief Judge assumed duty, the Criminal Administration Committee meeting has become effective. We have been talking. Two weeks ago, we had a meeting in which we discussed how to improve the criminal justice system in the FCT in such a manner that people who commit criminal offences would not stay unnecessarily too long in prison as Awaiting Trial, especially staying longer than the period they would have stayed if they had been convicted. “The National Human Right Commission was also here to access the Awaiting Trial situation in the prison and they left with some facts which they would work on. As at today, we have over 500 inmates on the Awaiting Trial list out of over 641 inmates. Among this figure are 16 condemned inmates.” A human rights lawyer, Kelvin Nwosu assured the Awaiting Trial inmates that he would work with the FCT to quicken the justice system to guarantee their speedy trial. “Where you are today is temporary and it has expiry date. You can also contribute by quickening the date to expire. Those of you that are on the Awaiting Trial list should keep on praying and working with your lawyers. Tell your lawyer to push your case because some lawyers are also not helping matters. They, sometimes, abandon your case. “By the grace of God the law is changing to enable speedy trial of Awaiting Trial inmates.” Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro also gave hope to those inmates who have lost confidence in the judicial system. Moro, who was represented by one of his Special Assistants said: “The fact that they are locked up here does not mean all hope is lost. There is still something good that can come out of them. We need to show them love in this Easter period, for it is a season of love. We cannot give up on anybody. My advice to the inmates is to change their ways, turn away from evil and embrace Christ. Once they have Christ with them, they will not go into crisis.” The Head Presenter Wazobia FM, Nwokedi Moses popularly known as ‘Big Moor’ said: “What brought about this is the congestion in the Nigerian prisons and how to help in decongesting them. We discovered that when the inmates are released and they do not have any means of livelihood, they will go back into crime and that indirectly takes them back into the prison. Such situation is not good for the society. We decided to start up a campaign tagged ‘Prison Break’ to educate and motivate them to know that they can be champions of freedom.”

  • Nigerians advised to assist prison inmates

    Nigerians have been urged to assist the vulnerable, especially the prison inmates.

    This call was made by a Kirikiri Maximum Prison warder, Mr Musiliu Adeniran during a visit by members of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State University (LASU), Anthony Campus branch.

    Adeniran said the unavailability of funds to finance the education of inmates, who are in school, has been a major deterrent to their hope for a better future.

    He urged the wealthy to come to their aid.

    In his address to the inmates, leader of the delegation, Adam Abdul Mumin said Allah does not hate them but was merely keeping them in prison for a purpose.

    Abdul Mumin enjoined the inmates to hope and pray for a second chance and sincerely repent from whatever sin committed.

  • NLC frees 15 prison inmates in Kano

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kano State Council, on Tuesday facilitated the freedom of 15 prison inmates from the Central Prison, Kano.

    The state NLC Chairman, Malam Isa Danguguwa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano that the gesture was part of activities marking the May Day celebration in the state.

    ‘’You know we limited our activities during the May Day celebration to visiting hospitals and prisons due to the security challenges.’’

    He said the union paid about N200, 000 as fines for all the beneficiaries of the gesture.

    ‘’You will be surprised to hear that one woman among the inmates was indebted to only N5, 000 but because she could not pay, she was sent to prison,’’ he said.

    Danguguwa said the union had directed its women committee to identify some of the women who had a meagre fine in the prison with a view to paying the amounts to set them free.

    ‘’We want to show the public that NLC is not only concerned about welfare of workers or salary increase for workers, but it is concerned about the welfare of the common man in general.’’

    The NLC chairman, who expressed concern over the deplorable condition in the prison, called on the state government to assist the inmates with drugs and food.

    Danguguwa also urged well-to-do in the society to emulate the gesture of the union, to reduce congestion in the prison.