Abakaliki prison overstretch, needs urgent attention, Says Bessie

Controller of Ebonyi state Correctional Service command, Offem Bessie, Tuesday said that Abakaliki Medium Security Custodial Centre was overstretched and needs urgent attention.

Bessie disclosed that  the Custodial Centre being built in 1949 was to accommodate three hundred and eighty-seven (387) inmates, currently houses one thousand, three hundred and twenty-three (1,323) inmates.

He said this could lead to riot, jail-break or other forms of security concerns if not handled urgently.

Offem disclosed this at the Custodial Centre during the visit of Governor Francis Nwifuru to the centre during which he granted amnesty to 159 detainees in the  Effium/Ezza Effum war which claimed many lives with properties worth billions of naira destroyed.

“The decongestion of Medium Security Custodial Centre Abakaliki has become an  urgent security concern.

“The Custodial Centre which was built in the year 1949 to accommodate three hundred and eighty-seven (387) inmates currently houses one thousand, three hundred and twenty-three (1,323) inmates which is extremely overstretching our Custodial Centre facility thereby posing serious security threat to the State which could lead to riot, jail-break or other forms of security concerns if not handled urgently.

“Your Excellency sir, I humbly request that funds be released to Nigerian Correctional Service, for direct labour under the supervision of Ministry of Housing to enable us complete the new Custodial Centre with capacity of one thousand, two hundred and twelve (1,212) inmates, which has been under construction by Ebonyi State Government since 2017, as this will in no small measure solve the problem of congestion and facilitate the process of inmate reformation and rehabilitation.

“This is to ensure compliance with the Nigerian Correctional Service standards for the construction of modern Custodial Centres”,  she told the Governor..

She called for the construction of barricade security wall around the outer section of the Medium Security Custodial Centre boundary to forestall external inversion/attack and jailbreak around the buffer red zone of the Custodial Centre.

Governor Francis Nwifuru in his speech said the amnesty was bring lasting peace to the troubled Effium community.

He urged the freed detainees to contribute in enthroning peace in the area by living in peace.

He noted that the amnesty was rooted in justice and mercy. 

Nwifuru said those who benefited from the amnesty were those whose alleged offences were directly connected to the communal crisis and were not exonerated from accountability but rather given a second chance to contribute to the community and the state.