Prison Controller alleges exclusion from Imo Security Council

[Mirror]

The continued neglect of Imo State Prisons and exclusion of the Controller from the State Security Council meeting are now source of worry to the management of the prisons authorities in the state.

The Controller of Imo State Prisons Command, Mr. Isaiah Amaliri, who expressed the worry yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, said that only Imo out of the 36 states of the federation "has no prison controller as a member in the State Security Council."

Amaliri said that such exclusion could undermine the security purpose of the institution as major stakeholder in crime management, adding that inclusion of the prisons controller as a member of the security council would strengthen the security network of the state.

He claimed that the development had continued to frustrate some deserving inmates from benefitting from the governor's exercise of prerogative of mercy.

Amaliri said: "It is the duty of the governor to come here to release prisoners, but since the inception of this administration, the governor has not visited this place."

Speaking at a birthday ceremony organised by the state Commissioner for Finance, Deacon Chike John Okafor, within the premises of the prison at the weekend, Amaliri regretted that the institution, which ordinarily should accommodate 448 inmates, now hosts over 2000 inmates, leading to congestion.

The prison boss, who painted a sad situation at the Owerri Prisons, appealed to Governor Rochas Okorocha to extend his "Rescue Mission Programme" to the facility to alleviate the plight of the inmates.

He said: "This is the place for Governor Okorocha to demonstrate his Rescue Mission Agenda because if we open this place and allow the embattled prisoners out, the Government House will not accommodate all of them, but we have been managing them and we expect the government to complement our efforts".

Decrying the dilapidated nature of structures in the prisons, Amaliri claimed that lack of vehicles, drugs, decrepit toilet facilities, medical equipment and Information Communications Technology (ICT) Centre had become added headaches to the prison management.

When journalists visited the place, toilet facilities were discovered to have broken down, a situation which allowed sewage from the toilets oozing out offensive odour that gave visitors discomfort.

However, Deacon Okafor later organised a minifund raising ceremony to secure the freedom of some inmates in both Okigwe and Owerri prisons who were confined in prison because they could not pay their fines.

The commissioner donated N300, 000 to secure the freedom of Okigwe inmates who could not pay their fines.

Visitors and prison authorities were excited when the commissioner paid N200, 000 fine to free one Miss Stella Ifeoma who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the Owerri Prisons.

Other inmates who benefited from the commissioner's magnanimity include Oduchukwu Livinus sentenced to five years or N100,000; Izuka Imo, N30,000; Nze Nwosu, N10,000; and Alaoma Mgbahu, N4,000.

The finance commissioner commended Governor Okorocha for giving him a platform to touch the lives of the poor and advised the inmates to always remain calm and loyal to the prison authorities till the day they would receive their own freedom.