It was a pathetic drama in the Owerri High Court premises Friday morning when an inmate who is believed to have awaited trial in prison for upwards of seven years was acquitted of any wrong doing and discharged by an Owerri Magistrate Court.

Instead of the usual jubilation that follow any ruling of ‘discharged and acquitted’, crimefacts.org gathered that the said inmate, Sylvester Obata (not real names); wearing a long face, headed straight for the Prison van that brought them to court, only to be intercepted by a prison guard who reminded him he was free to go home.

To the chagrin of eyewitnesses, Obata said he was going nowhere demanding to be allowed entry into the Prison Van back to prison.

The prison guard who mistook Obata’s statement for a weird joke was jolted when he tried to push him away from the prison van and was defiantly resisted by the freed inmate.

What seemed like a mild drama turned nearly absurd when the calm of the court premises was shattered by Obata’s shouts and pleas to be allowed to go back to prison and he thrashed about and struggled with several prison officials who wanted him out of the court and on his way home.

According to eyewitnesses who spoke to crimefacts.org, it took the effort of over six prison officials,court workers and policemen to get the freed inmate out of the court premises. Obata who refused to budge even in the face of threats of brutality by security men, had to be dragged on the floor while he raised hell in the court premises.

Outside the prison, Obata sustained his raving, telling whoever cared to listen why he should be allowed to remain in jail. According to him, setting him free was no big deal, but his plight outside prison is what the court should have also considered.

Said he, “I have no place to go or anybody to go to. I have no job or business.I want to go back to prison where I can at least be sure to eat something everyday.”

The evidently apprehensive former prison inmate, demanded to see the Chief Judge of the state to plead his case himself and explain to him why it was better to keep him in prison than outside prison.

Slightly after mid-day, when crimefacts.org news sources went to check the outcome of the agitation of the former inmate, nobody seemed to know what became of him and his demands to be taken back to jail or to the state Chief Judge.

http://crimefacts.org/drama-in-court-as-freed-prison-inmate-refuses-to-go-says-he-prefers-prison-where-he-can-at-least-feed-daily/

I think what he needs now is freedom from his Poverty mentality

Really pathetic 7 yrs for a crime dat he didn't commit! now he's being pushed to actually commit crime

Not Funny!!!!!!



Prison Life has taken its toll on him!!!

Not his fault tho!

Prison madness

Federal beans and water water eba don sweet am be dat oh.

He gets free food, clothing and shelter and he knows he probably won't be able to get those while free.

Eya.

His meal, shelter, friends and security are guaranteed there than the real world he lives. Smart dude.

lol, the guy don get ground for dare , i nor blame the guy jare,

He might not have where to go or who to go to.


VERY PATHETIC!

Poor soul. Seven years of his life wasted just like that. His plight should be understandable. He needs proper rehabilitation else he'll be back to prison in a little while from now.

I just pity him

W0nder shall nva cease

Very understandable. His life was taken away from him for 7years! Unlawfully too! What should he now go back to? But he has to be resilient

Pathetic.....

Mak dem return am ngba yen

Which just goes to say that prison life is not rehabilitating it's inmates. If you ask me, there's no difference between those honourables in the H of A and these inmates. Thieves, kidnappers, pen/ gun robbers, boko haram, you name it, all in the N A

hmm

Why were people amazed? They say no place like home. He finds comfort in the prison, his home sweet home. Give him his right.

Hmmm, dis is pathetic, dis guy might end up stealing nd killing to survive.what an irony of life!

So sad. I feel for the guy!

tha_originator: Federal beans and water water eba don sweet am be dat oh.

You cant blame him, he has been institutionalized..

very Sad God please help him

It all boils down to GEJ.

Maybe him don mental 7 years in prison is not easy. I rejected it. Almighty have Mercy on prisoners.

No rehabilitation plan, no compensation for keeping him in jail for yrs, pathetic system

[color=#990000][This shows the sordid state of Nigeria. He was forced out of the court rather than being handed over to a rehabilitation agency. If care is not taken, the guy is an automatic prison inmate within few days from now because he will try to go back to prison. A sorry case.]