How Nigerian Prison Officials Arrange For Young People To Serve Jail Terms For Criminals, Convicts— Falana

A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has alleged that some officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) allow criminals to escape court verdicts by getting young men who will serve jail terms for criminals.

Speaking on Thursday at a media session titled, “Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity”, Falana said the country is at war and the level of criminality is on the rise.

He noted that solving the country’s security challenges goes beyond hiring mercenaries.

Falana revealed that criminals that have been convicted of a crime are allowed to walk freely on the streets after warders connive with convicts to pay youths willing to serve jail terms on behalf of criminals.

According to him, some of them who have been condemned to prison terms in Kirikiri hardly get there as the exchange is made at Mile 2, a few kilometres to the prison.

He also said that there were some convicts who don't seek a replacement or representation in prison but simply pay court officials after which he goes from the court to his house.

He noted, “This will surprise you, when a judge pronounces a jail term, sir, before getting to Kirikiri, at Mile 2, warders have an arrangement whereby some prepared young persons will replace the convict. That is the person that will enter the prison, he's paid.

The second one, in the court premises, there's a syndicate by the defence counsel, prosecutors, warders and court clerks. Once the judge turns his back, the convict will arrange and pay them and the convict will walk back home.

“There's a study in Lagos, I think 2005/2006, 199 people sentenced for drug trafficking, none of them made it to the prison. It's a very serious crisis we are facing. If you want to discuss the security of our country, it goes beyond calling for mercenaries.”

Falana added that the country is at war but those in power, for reasons best known to them, have refused to acknowledge this.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari has disobeyed Section 305 of the constitution which requires him to declare a state of emergency in war-torn areas. He said Buhari has failed to take measures to restore law and order in troubled states.

Falana further noted that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has refused to name the 400 financiers of terrorists that the AGF announced in May 2021. He also said the 800 suspected terrorists Malami mentioned two weeks after that must be put on trial.

He said, “Our country is at war, but whether the people in government are aware of this, the enormity of the crisis is another. For instance, the president has refused, for some inexplicable reason, to declare a state of emergency in those states. That's what the law says; Section 305, the President shall declare a state of emergency.

“He is supposed to go to the National Assembly for endorsement so that extraordinary measures can be taken to restore law and order. For reasons best known to the President, he has not done that, even to rebrand bandits as terrorists, was a problem.

“In May last year, the AGF, Malami announced that they have arrested 400 sponsors of Boko Haram but because the staff of judiciary are on strike, once the strike is over, they will be on trial. Two weeks later, he also announced the arrest of 800 Boko Haram suspects who were to be put on trial, that was about a year ago.

“None of them has been put on trial. So if the sponsors of Boko Haram are walking free, perhaps to continue to fund terrorism, we must know the 400 sponsors of terrorism, they must be put on trial. Money has been appropriated by the National Assembly to try arrested terror suspects, but the regime for reasons best known to the people in government is not doing this.

“It is about what has happened to the money budgeted for the defence of our country, what has happened to the arrested Boko Haram sponsors? Those are the kind of questions the likes of (Nasir) El-Rufai (Kaduna State governor) should be asking, not diverting our attention.

“Lagos is the largest city in the world without CCTV cameras, if we had CCTV cameras all over the place, what happened to that lady inside the BRT bus wouldn't have happened.

“Crime happens everywhere because we don't have gadgets. At our airports, these guys (bandits) can launch attacks and no one knows who they are. If there is a killing anywhere, people are moving there to touch whatever they can lay hands on, whereas what is done is to remove everyone from there so that taking fingerprints will be enough for investigation.”

http://saharareporters.com/2022/04/08/how-nigerian-prison-officials-arrange-young-people-serve-jail-terms-criminals-convicts%E2%80%94

It is not a new thing. We all know Orji Uzo Kalu did not near Kuje prison gate talkless of entering there.

this indeed is a serious indictment.
I hope mr falana has enough evidence to support this allegation.

Corruption is indeed endemic in this country.

Nairalanders should pls celebrate with me. After several years of job hunting, i finally got one that is at least lucrative. I traveled to Port-Harcourt for the interview, and was posted to Abuja to start at the Abuja office. At the moment, i am unable (due to transport fare) to travel to Abuja to start the new job on Monday. I appeal to everyone to rally around me pls. Help me.

Anything is possible in Nigeria but hope Mr Falana can substantiate this grave allegation?

Really?
When you have a faliure as a president who is an ethnic bigot,what do you expect? THE NORTH IS THE BANE OF NIGERIAS PROGRESS
Balkanize this country now.

That's Nigeria

This one hard o.

Truly, 9ja na zoo

richiemcgold:
this indeed is a serious indictment.
I hope mr falana has enough evidence to support this allegation.

Who is going to put him on trial? Government? They won't dare.

How will a sane person willingly choose to give up his freedom for Christ sake. naija prison for that matter, how much they wan pay me?

.

So Falana knew something dangerous like this but couldn't speak up until now. All the evil in this world are residence in Nigeria

The Country is a huge mess

The North and all their years in power: the clog in the wheel of Nigeria's progress!

Falana is quite correct, CCTV cameras shud be mount everywhere in Lagos,..
Nigeria is a failed state, nothing shud be done again. Let there be corruption!

Look at this one



Are you trying to play ignorance card or you are just a common APC zombie

richiemcgold:
this indeed is a serious indictment.
I hope mr falana has enough evidence to support this allegation.

We've been hearing of 'replacement' in prisons for a long time.

Meanwhile, it's still better for those paid to serve as replacement.

What about those randomly picked on the streets as 'rogues' used as replacement without being paid a dime? Even without their prior knowledge?

No be only buhari be Nigeria problem

Not impossible

Especially those drug lord and politicians

All boils down to one problem and one problem alone...we get what we pay for.

Our entire law enforcement is poorly funded and poorly motivated.....and thus more money while not ending corruption would get better prison's, better law enforcement, and so on

Also, we may need to consider legalizing some drugs like marijuana (yes, I know)..and taxing the revenues.

Finally, more investment into preventing people from using drugs in the first place...which means better mental health, more jobs, etc.

It's treacherous to bring innocent kids into this country without a clear plan of sending dem abroad for education..

Oh Nigeria.


Meanwhile She left her home without money, took a very expensive cab to hookup with online bf for the first time. On transit, network blocked their lines cos of NIN wahala �

Nicholaspepe:
Corruption is indeed endemic in this country.

Nigeria isn't the only country where this happens.

Whatever pays your bill

Is that the only atrocity they commit,what about if i told you they sleep with female inmates and if you refuse,your life will be a living hell in there.

This girl that killed Mr Michael Usifo Ataga would escape the bosses over there,they will turn her to sex slave in there,in return she will serve a comfortable jail term,just like in the movies.

Na wa o

This is a serious allegation & amounts to Character Defamation. Falana must immediately be arrested to substantiate his claims with evidence.
DSS, oya do your job.

Seriously

Nigeria is a messed up country, paying someone to serve a jail term.

Am hearing that for the first time.



I can't trade My freedom for anything