By Tom Okpe
The Nigeria Army has blamed incessant Kuje Prison Break on absence of CCTV Cameras and construction of low fence around the Prison Yard.
Recall that the Kuje Prison Yard was broken into, especially on the 5th of July, 2022 where some inmate’s freely walked away.
This was made known at the House of Representatives probe, instituted by the House joint Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Justice, Police Affairs, Interior, and Human Rights at its Public Hearing in Abuja, Wednesday.
The Committee is investigating the whereabouts of inmates who escaped from Kuje Corrections Center during the jail break.
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In his remarks, Major Peter Ogbuinya, Assistant Director Commercial Law, Directorate of Legal Services, Nigeria Army; said it was discovered that the prison area is located in a densely populated zone.
“We observed issues of low fencing and lack of CCTV cameras within the area, which were not in place, before the incident.”
The representative of the Chief of Army Staff, Ogbuinya, said the Nigerian Army was only playing a complimentary role to the correctional centers to assist them.
He added that the army was not the only security agency deployed to Kuje prison.
According to him, “the day the jail break occured, we had a rotation of troops. I wouldn’t want to comment on the possibility of having an insider.
“Prior to that incident, the Nigerian army wrote series of letters to the Comptroller General of the Correctional Service concerning our observations and things that would enhance security.
“We are still working to know, if there are any soldiers who failed to do what they were meant to do within Military hierarchy.”
Mrs Ayoola Daniel, representing the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in her remarks, said the Ministry was in support of the committee to decongest the prison.
She said the Correctional Service had been removed from the exclusive to concurrent list, adding that States were expected to take up responsibility to decongest the prison.
Also speaking, Philip Ayuba, Assistant Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps asked the Committee to look into how lawyers who are in the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSN) could be engaged in providing services for prisoners.
“We still have so many young men in prison; we are requesting that the NYSC lawyers be sent to the Centre, to look at some minor cases, so we can decongest the prison.
He called for the need to embrace alternative conflict resolution, adding that this would also, help to decongest the prison.
“We also, suggest that those who have stayed more than a year or two in the Correctional Centre, should be given amnesty. They need to give the inmate better training so that those who leave, can find better things to do.”
In his contributions, Rep Olumide Osoba, Chairman of the Committee on Justice, said, “We found ourselves in an embarrassing situation in July 2022.
“It was condemnable to have such a large number of prisoners, adding that there had been a lot of improvement at the correctional center since its oversight.
Rep. Chinedu Ogah, Chairman, Joint Committees, said the correctional service is key to Nigeria’s security.
“The committee would do what was right by ensuring decongestion of the Centre, as I urge stakeholders to make effective contributions to do what was needed.”
Deputy C G of Prison, Mohammed Tukur said we need money to strongest our Prisons in the country.
Some stakeholders, invited by the joint Committee to make inputs at the investigative hearing includes the Nigerian police and some Civil Society Organisations.
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