Prisons where indiscipline, impunity reign supreme
Detainees live like kings, slaughter cows for birthdays
By ROMANUS UGWU
Kuje Medium Security Prison, Abuja, has played host to both ordinary and eminent Nigerians. In recent times, some of the high profile inmates include the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, former Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro and the chairman, DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, former Chairman of the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon Faruk Lawan, the chief security officer to the late General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and former aide to the late Chief MKO Abiola, Lateef Shofolahan are either still tasting or had tasted the flavour of Kuje Prison.
Despite gradually becoming the second home for prominent Nigerians in the bad books of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the recent escape of two culpable homicide awaiting trial inmates brought the prison into focus. Its security has become a huge concern to not a few Nigerians.
As at August 2015, Nigeria’s prisons had 65,000 inmates with over 72 per cent awaiting trial. Of these figures, Kuje Prison had 893 inmates, comprising 175 convicted and 717 awaiting trials. The inmates included Boko Haram members, VIP and those with minor offences.
Issues at the prison
Lots of unpalatable stories are emanating from Kuje Prison at the moment. Some alleged unprintable and unethical practices by the inmates and prison staff, resulting in the serious security lapses. These developments heightened fears of “anything possible” among inmates.
A combination of other factors like alleged compromise by prison officials, unfavourable criminal justice system and personality influence by the inmates contributed in making Kuje Prison one of the most unsafe in the country.
Minister of Interior, Lt General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd), confirmed this during his visit after the recent jailbreak: “The last time I visited, I noticed some security gaps in the prison. I made my observation then known to the former CG of prison with the present controller. I told them precisely what to do but unfortunately this escape has occurred.
“It is high time we knew precisely what to do, the number of inmates in a particular cell, not in terms of the number but by their names. I believe that if every officer takes seriously his duty, things like that will not happen. We must ensure that every prison officer handles his responsibilities the way it should be.
“It is not a good omen to see two prisoners escape. Not just ordinary prisoners but the ones awaiting trial for murder. It is a very serious issue. And without pre-empting the investigative panel report, those security gaps which made it possible for the escape must be covered to ensure that things like that did not happen again.”
Deterioration of security
Beyond the multiple security measures and check points at the entrance to Kuje Prison and even the newly constructed observatory tower and aside the thorough screening of visitors, staff and edibles for the self-feeding inmates, the porous nature of security at the prison is visible. The situation is not abating, it is deteriorating.
A prison officer who confided in Daily Sun narrated: “There are classifications of prisoners like lifers, high-profile, VIP and minor offences ones. The inmates are kept according to these classifications with a standing rule that they must not mingle.
“Before his taking over, the routine was to bring out the inmates early morning and return them around 2.30pm for what we call midday lockup. It was to enable the staff on morning duty to hand over to the ones on afternoon duty.
“During the handover, the detailed statistics of the inmates were documented. It was repeated around 6.00pm during the final lockup. During this process, the inmates on high profile list were not allowed to mingle with the others. But the reverse became the case when a former boss of the prison (name witheld) took over.
“The collapse of the rule and the congestion of prison resulted in unlocking the inmates from morning till late at night. They equally allowed hardened criminals, lifers and Boko Haram inmates to mix with others throughout the day. Such actions have drastic negative influence on the inmates.
“Again, in the past, the headquarters appointed the chief warder who is in charge. But in his case, he was the one who appointed the chief warder who never questioned his authority or summoned courage to insist on the strict observance of the prison rules.”
Inmates live larger than life
The flagrant disobedience to the prison rules gave rise to emergence of influential VIPs and high profile prisoners. They are living larger than life. Kuje Prison, by the confession of some officials has gradually degenerated into a place where inmates celebrate birthdays with cows.
Another official volunteered: “Some of them celebrating birthday would order for cows and and slaughtered. At a time, it became a competition of who would slaughter the biggest.
“The most annoying one was when the prison authorities allowed some of them to have cash with them and even connived to buy foodstuffs for them to sell to other inmates to cook inside their cells in fragrant disobedience to the prison feeding rule.
“There is a standing rule that prison staff should not allow inmates use handsets, but it is an entirely different situation in Kuje. Some of the VIP prisoners use handsets and there was even a case of an inmate calling and embarrassing a former president on telephone.”
Unholy relationship between VIP inmates, staff
Sex is one of the things prison inmates are denied, but it is not for Kuje inmates. Those with financial means and influence are alleged to not only import sex partners, but sometimes source from within the precinct of the prison. Some inmates and staff of Kuje Prison confirmed the existence of such absurdity.
However, an official of the prison shrugged off the allegation: “There is no iota of truth in the speculation that prison staff connive with inmates to bring ladies for them. The truth is that for a long time now, the prison authorities have continued to fight the dangerous trend of female staff having sex with the inmates.
“Many of them have been caught with inmates fondling their breasts while others were caught in the very sex act with them. Such act usually involves inmates with big pockets or the VIPs. It is very rampant especially when a VIP inmate spends few days. The female staff would freely relate with him knowing that he will not stay long there.”
Division of prison staff along religious lines
There are always division among the prison staff along religious and ethnic lines each time a VIP is taken into custody, the source revealed. He explained that such division was also noticeable in the de-radicalisation of the Boko Haram insurgence programme:
“The de-radicalisation programmes for the Islamic militants and the hardened criminals were not religiously followed because of the religious and ethnic sympathy of certain prison officials. The handling of the inmates is most time laced with religious and ethnic sentiments.
“The inhuman treatment meted out on the former Minister of Interior, Comrade Patrick Abba Moro, was disheartening. When Moro was brought to Kuje Prison, many of the officials were sharply divided on whether to keep him in VIP cell or with the other inmates.
“They mockingly reminded him of his statement while in office that nothing concerns him with the wellbeing of the inmates. When he was finally taken to a VIP room after the intervention of the then Controller General, it was a room without mattress. The inmates were instigated to boo him before the CG ordered that a mattress be brought from the Gwagwalada office.
“It was the same shoddy treatment meted out to him when he was taken to court. While others insisted that he must be handcuffed, some of his kinsmen and Christians said over their dead body. Somebody even signed an undertaken to provide him if he escaped without handcuff. He was taken to court in an ambulance instead of the van just to humiliate him.”
Way forward
During their visit to Kuje Prison after the recent escape, members of the House of Representatives Committee on Interior lamented the deplorable situation in the prison, recommending that a Close Circuit Television (CCT) be installed round the prison in addition to employing more staff to beef up the workforce.
Already, the authorities concerned have started wielding the big sticks including the immediate stripping and replacement of the immediate past in-charge, DCP Musa Tanko, by the Minister of Interior and the subsequent suspension of 14 officers and men facing interrogation over the escape.
According to the prison authorities: “The suspension is sequel to the outcome of the preliminary investigation into the incident and in consonance with PSR 030406 (2008) Revised Version; the officers were suspended from duty to allow for unhindered trial process.
“The commissioned officers among them are to be served with letters of query while the junior staff will be given Form 96 (Charge Sheet) to explain their role in the unfortunate saga.”
These are important steps but what seems more crucial is ensuring that all inmates are reined in and made to obey the rules.