How I Was Tortured While In Prison — Inibehe Effiong Says NCS Officer, Eyoren Degraded His Person

*Says Eyoren’s Story About His Transfer To Uyo Custodial Center As Well As The Shaving Of His Beard A Fabrication
*Accuses Correctional Officers Of Unethical Practices

Human Rights Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong has narrated how Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) officer, Enobong Philip Eyoren tortured, taunted and threatened his life while he served a month imprisonment sentence for contempt of Court. According to Inibihe Eyoren was a man who the NCS authorities used for nefarious activities to which he was a victim, and he would get justice not only for himself but for the entire Nigeria citizenry.

In a Facebook post, Inibihe stated that he did not offend Enobong Phillip Eyoren, who was also known as Gideon Eyoren and goes by the Facebook name Kasiano Kasiano in anyway. Eyoren is an Assistant Superintendent 1; a two star officer in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) working at the Ikot Ekpene Medium Custodial Centre as a Correctional Officer (warder), and was also an indigene of Ikot Nko, Ididep, in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

According to Inibehe: “Eyoren tortured and subjected me to the most humiliating and traumatic experience of my life for merely asking that the Assistant Controller of Corrections in Ikot Ekpene prison, ACC Edet Akpan, should give me time to arrange myself and have my bath, as I was not a criminal, when they wanted to transfer me from Ikot Ekpene to Uyo prison on the 10th of August, 2022 which he took as an insult. ACC Edet Akpan angrily left and immediately unleashed Eyoren to deal with me. He knows why he choose Eyoren for the ‘job’.”

Inibihe went on to asset that he had never offended Eyoren or looked for his trouble, prior to 10th August, 2022, yet, Eyoren treated him in the most violent, insolent and vindictive manner. Effiong narrated thus: “As he was torturing me, he kept taunting me to look at his name. He said nothing would happen. He said repeatedly that he was going to “finish me” (a threat to my life). He even had the audacity to make a video record of me while I was being brutally shaved. He insisted that the beards and the hairs in my head should be completely shaved. Even when the barber (a fellow inmate) whom he brought and ordered to shave me against my wish wanted to stop, he shouted at him to shave me completely and was mocking me as I sat on the dirty bare floor. The current hairs on my head and the little beards that you’re seeing on me presently started growing from 10th August. I was completely shaved.”

Effiong stated that prior to story spread by NCS authorities, he expressly told Eyoren that he didn’t want to be shaved, but he became more violent. He noted that he couldn’t physically resist him, because only God knows what would have happened to him.

He recounted what transpired on the day he was transferred to Uyo Correctional Center thus: “Eyoren grabbed me by the neck with the help of another officer, and they both dragged me by the neck from my cell in Ikot Ekepene Custodial Centre to outside where a van was stationed. I could barely breath.

“It was drizzling. Yet, Eyoren did not allow me to sit inside the van. He didn’t even allow me to enter the back of the van on my own. Eyoren and the other officer carried me up and flung me inside the back of the van like a piece of unused material. Even though two armed officers were also seated in the back of the van, Eyoren chained my left hand to the van. All the officers in Ikot Ekpene came out and were watching. Officers who pleaded with Eyoren to treat me with decency were snubbed.”

Effiong noted that this was unbecoming of Eyoren. He stated whether he was I going to run or what? Or If Eyoren thought that that he could jump out and escape, why didn’t he just allow him to sit inside the van? And why did he have to chain him [Effiong] to the van like a dog despite that I didn’t resist in anyway? According to Effiong, Eyoren didn’t even allow him to button up my shirt.

He noted that even Amb Armstrong Moses, a fellow inmate who was in the front of the van, pleaded with Eyoren to allow him to come to the front since there was space. But Eyoren rebuffed him. According to Effoong, what’s more is that other prisoners had full beards and hair, he was the only one that was shaved completely.

Effiong stated that even after they arrived arrived Uyo, Eyoren who works in Ikot Ekpene refused to leave despite being asked by the officers on duty in Uyo prison to let him be as he was then in their custody. “Immediately the Uyo prison gate was opened, Eyoren ordered me to sit on the floor and continued his violent behaviour towards me. Some officers on duty in Uyo Custodial Centre pleaded with him to leave since he does not work in Uyo, but he started making frantic calls and the officers on duty had to back down; ostensibly after getting orders from above.” He said.

Effiong alleged that some people have said that he should let this matter go because Eyoren is a ”very dangerous man”, and may attack him with his fraternity “members, while others have said that I should forgive him. But Effiong asked how does he forgive a man who publicly violated his person and has not apologized publicly? He noted that made it clear to the authorities of the Correctional Service that I wanted genuine remorse, and instead of doing this publicly, NCS Public Relations Officer (PRO) in Akwa Ibom, Richard Metong, has been busy issuing false and provocative public statements against him.

Furthermore Effiong stated that he didn’t want peace; but want justice. According to him, no matter how powerful or violent you may be as a cultist, you should not believe that the whole world is afraid of you and as such you can do whatever you like to anyone without consequences.

“Eyoren thinks that he is invincible. He believes that he has the capacity to unleash violence and that there is nothing that anyone can do to him. I cannot easily forget how he repeatedly taunted me to look at his name. He went further to say to me: “You think that I am your Chief Judge, I will finish you”. This is someone who knew nothing about what led to my imprisonment.” He said.

Effiong stated strongly thus: “I want justice, not just because of what he did to me and his threats to my life, but because other citizens, inmates and the members of the public in general are also potential victims of his inclination for violence.

“Eyoren has in the past been transferred from Uyo prison to Eket prison, and from Eket prison to Ikot Ekpene prison where he currently serves for various misconducts. They keep covering him up. Is it because he is “a very dangerous man” as I have been repeatedly told, or because the authorities in the Correctional Service are using him for nefarious activities?

Those working in the Correctional Service should be people of high moral standing.
“Eyoren should explain to Nigerians how and when he plans to ”finish me”. I am putting out his photos and this additional information for the world to know that this Eyoren threatened my life while assaulting me, and is yet to be punished for what he did to me.”