According to Vanguard:
A Deputy Comptroller of prison, Mr. Kayode
Odeyemi, has said an attempt to carry out its
delegated responsibility by restricting illegal entry
of ban items in the prison yard led to the recent
riot that broke out at the Medium Security
Prison, Kirikiri, contrary to the public opinion of
poor ventilation.
This was disclosed during a visit conducted by
senior officials of the National Human Rights
Commission, NHRC, who visited the facilities to
investigate the cause of the incident.
In his own take, while speaking to journalists, the
Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof.
Bem Angwe, said there was no jail break or riot
as supposedly speculated but rather a “possible
misguided minds among the prisoners” spark up
the protest.
Given his account, Deputy Controller, Medium
Security Prison, Kirikiri, Mr. Odeyemi, pointed out
that the fracas was triggered by inmates who
wanted an opportunity to break the prison rules
by smuggling materials like phones, marijuana
and other illegal items that could be of help in jail
break.
He noted that the inmates that died during the
riots are those who tried to escape but were
trapped by the barb wires on the security fence.
According to him, “it started when a man was
carrying a box of fan without proper authorization
to the church in the prison; I intercepted him and
refuse him entrance prior proper approval for
entering.
“On interrogating him, I was not convinced to give
him entrance because that is how people smuggle
illegal items into the prison in the name of given
charity to the prisoners. No long before that we
started hearing noise and revolt from the inmates
which was reported to been triggered by one
inmate known as bishop”, he added.
Odeyemi, noted that during the fracas, a total
number of 23 prisoners sustained minor injuries
and are treated why four were badly injured when
confronting the security guards and are currently
in Igbobi hospital and Lagos Island still
undergoing treatment.
“It is to the interest of Nigerians to note that no
prisoners had escaped from the protest and guns
were not fired on the prisoners but rather on the
air to scare them off attempting for any jail
break.
Responding, Professor Angwem said, “we are not
misguided by the obligation to see that the rights
and privileges given by the law are properly and
adequately adhere to”, adding, “we have to ensure
that the welfare of both the prison officials and
the inmates are not trampled upon.
“From our findings, we are at peace with the job
carried by the Deputy Comptroller, because where
there is no law, there is no sin. We see that there
was no misconduct from the end of the DC or his
warders but the act is carried out by some group
of inmates who do not what to be controlled as a
prisoner.
However, the NHRC boss put the prison officials
to task when he pointed their attention to
congested facilities.
“It is quite unfortunate that what we saw wrong
was the shocked- up cells that housed a
population of over 56 inmates without provisions
for mattresses and fan and also the cases of
inmates whose matter has not been brought for
hearing in the court.”
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