The attention of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command has been drawn to an editorial in one of the daily newspapers of Tuesday 5th September 2017 captioned ‘Nigeria Prison Service and the Story of Ezinwa’ a fraud suspect in Kuje prison who allegedly, has continued to dupe innocent members of the society from prison custody.



When the allegation was reported in one of the papers on August 28th 2017, the authority ordered a thorough investigation promising to sanction any erring individual found culpable. For the records, Samuel Jeddidah aka Igwe is a pre-trial detainee and not a convict as stated in the publication. He was admitted into prison custody in September 2012 on allegations of fraud and since his case was transferred to FCT High court in 2016, he has only been heard once and the case further adjourned indefinitely.

On the 21st June, 2017 at about 1000hrs one of the relations of Igwe went to Kuje Prison with a medical massaging chair to be given to him and since it is not against prisons code for inmate relations to buy non-prohibited items including medical appliances for their loved ones, the item was inspected by our medical personnel, before being received and recorded for him. It is important to state that within this period of his incarceration there has not been any business transaction or items bought by the inmate whether within or outside the prison using cheque or via on-line platform as being speculated.



It is not true that he has a furnished apartment. It is also not true that he has unrestricted access to electronic communication gargets in the prison as no prisoner irrespective of status is allowed to own such. It is true that kuje prison, like any other prison in the world including most advanced climes is faced with the problem of trafficking in mobile phones but record also shows that the management views this offence seriously. Hence, no culprit is spared. Regular searching and monitoring are also carried out in order to stamp out the menace.



As a responsible and disciplined organisation, the Prisons Service will continue to play its strategic role of keeping safe custody of those legally interned under humane condition and ensure that they do not constitute danger to law abiding citizens. The command and the service in general has always and will continue to support sister security agencies in the collective effort to rid the society of criminal elements.

However, while the management remains irrevocably committed to sanctioning any breach of code of practice, whether by staff members or inmates, it is relevant to state that the public should be well guided and be patient for outcome of the investigation to establish culpability before sanctions.


https://etimes.com.ng/8934-2/

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