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Ebonyi jailbreak: NHRC uncovers 15 mad inmates in prisons

Published

10 years ago

November 1, 2016

From David Uka, Abakaliki

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said that it has uncovered over 15 mentally deranged cases among the inmates in the Abakaliki Federal Prisons, Ebonyi State.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Ben. Angwe, disclosed this in Abakaiki while briefing the state Governor David Umahi on some of the findings of the special investigative panel set up by the commission to investigate the alleged extra judicial killings during the August 18th attempted jailbreak in the state.

He disclosed that some of the mad inmates were taking there deliberately by their families to avoid the responsibility of taking them to hospital.

The commission also said that the Prisons was totally dilapidated and overpopulated with inmates taking turns to sleep at nights for wants of space in the cells.

Prof. Angwe noted that according to their findings, many of the inmates have been on waiting trial for many years now without being taking to courts.

“If you enter any of the prisons cells the inmates take turns to sleep, the situation is pathetic there.

“Many of the inmates have been on waiting trial for many years now without being taking to court.

“There is an old man in the prisons who has stayed there for 11 good years without trial”

He thanked the state government for the support and cooperation it extended to the investigative panel in the course of its duty.

He further appealed to the state government to consider extending helps to the Prisons by way of upgrading facilities.

Gov. Umahi while responding , promised to begin construction of new prisons facility for the Abakaliki Prisons next week.

He further redeployed two of his technical advisers to prisons to serve as links between the state government and the Prisons.