Prisons are over-stretched, CG cries out

Prisons are over-stretched, CG cries out

The Controller-General of Nigeria Prison Service, Peter Ekependu, has called on
the judiciary to expedite the trial of prison inmates, noting that the prison
formations are over-stretched with awaiting trial inmates.
According to him, out of 56,718 inmates in various prisons across the country,
39,032 are awaiting trial while only 17,686 were convicted.
Ekpendu, who said this during a drug abuse preventive education programme
organized for staff and inmates of Kuje prison, Abuja, on Tuesday, stressed that
the cooperation of the judiciary is needed to decongest the prisons.
The CG threatened to sanction any staff who trafficked prohibited items, including
hard drugs in the prisons.
“I promise a hard time for staff indulging in trafficking prohibited items including
hard drugs in the prisons. This will never be encouraged. About 56,718 are the
total number of prisoners in the prisons across the country, just 17,686 are
convicted while 39,032 are Awaiting Trial inmates.”
Assistant Controller-General in charge of Pharmacy, Mrs. Kori Bah, said the
programme was to educate staff and inmates on the negative effects of hard
drugs, noting that awareness is important to enlighten them on the need to stay
away from drugs, especially those that were not prescribed by doctors.
She stated that some inmates come into prison with the withdrawal symptoms of
hard drugs.
Bah said, “We are educating prisoners about the dangers of drug abuse in our
prisons. We have told them that using drugs is bad for them and it has bad
effects on them. When an inmate is on drugs, it is a bad example for others.
Some have been getting this information and others are just getting more
knowledge.
“Generally, people usually perpetrate their criminal acts under the effect of drugs
before coming into the prisons. They come in usually with the withdrawal
symptoms of the drugs. We carry out this awareness across the country.”