The issue of accommodation and logistics challenges being faced by the prisons has been compounded by the 100 Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) members in its zone E custody.
Speaking with newsmen at the Abia State headquarters Umuahia, after a meeting with the officers of the command, the Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) zone E, Mr Alloy Uchenwa, said, it was a miracle yesterday how the command was able to convey 100 IPOB members to court.
Uchenwa who was in Abia State as part of his routine inspection of facilities in commands under his zone, identified logistics as one of the major challenges of the prisons.
He therefore called on individuals, organisations and governments to assist the zone by providing logistics to enable it convey inmates to court at the appropriate time.
The ACG equally identified overcrowding/prison congestion as another challenge confronting the prisons, “A situation where more than 90% of inmates are awaiting trial was worrisome”.
The zone E prison boss, called for building of more prison cells to ease the challenge of overcrowding, saying that a situation where cells for 500 inmates were occupied by 1000 prisoners was not the best.
According to him, the society would enjoy peace only when there is peace in the prisons saying that the zone’s commitment to excellence would not be compromised.
He disclosed that in his meeting with the Abia State Attorney General and commissioner for Justice, Chief Ume Kalu (SAN) he raised the issue of prison decongestion with a promise from him to expedite trial of cases.
Uchenwa commended Abia prison command for the improvements recorded since his last visit.
He said that of particular interest was the reform which has helped the inmates to enroll in classes which has helped most of them to write WASCE even as others were taking courses in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
He commended the prison personnel while describing them as disciplined officers and men and assured that their promotion would remain regular even as the 2017 promotion would soon be released.
On the issue of babies born in the prisons who automatically become members of the community even without committing any crime, the prison boss said the law is silent on that but added that such children were normally released to their parents or relatives after 18 months.
He said, “But the first few months of birth, the baby would need the attention of the mother”.
On the issue of lack of adequate medication and food for inmates, he said the inmates would not be satisfied with the service because all the inmates need is freedom.
|The Nation
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