Reps to investigate attempted jail break at Kaduna Correctional Centre

The House of Representatives is to conduct investigations into the alleged attempted jail break at the Kaduna Correctional Centre resulting in the death of some inmates at the centre.

Chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, Rep. Anayo Edwin who disclosed this in a statement said the House will conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of some inmates at the Centre, immediately it resumes plenary later in the month.

He said the investigation became necessary following conflicting reports on the incident.

Edwin said that the House is concerned that media report suggested that the deaths resulted from an alleged attempted jail break by inmates.

He said another report suggested that the deaths recorded at the Correctional Centre was as a result of the displeasure by the Armed Squad of the Service over the way and manner, the inmate expressed their fear of possible spread of corona virus into the facility following the admission of persons showing symptoms of the disease.

Edwin said there are also conflicting figures over the number of casualties recorded during the incident and observed that the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Services was yet to make any official statement on the incident.

He said even though was possible that when the CG speaks, more facts will emerge, there was still the need to conduct an investigation to enable the Committee take an informed position.

The committee chairman reiterated his earlier call for the Nigerian Correctional Service to take urgent steps to protect inmates and staff of the service nationwide from the COVID 19, which is currently ravaging the world, adding that it is imperative for the service to urgently put in place measures to take care of inmates in the event of any eventuality.

Rep Edwin said the 9th House is committed to the wellbeing of inmates at the various correctional centres across the country, who by law retains their right to life and dignity of persons at all times, even in the face of death sentence before their actual execution in line with the orders of the court.

He assured that the House will stop at nothing to ensure that the inmates are treated with dignity while in confinement and asked the authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service to place high premium on the safety of the inmates, as the House frowns seriously on the needless death of any inmate.

He also assured that the House will ensure that anyone found culpable in the death of the inmates, directly or indirectly, will be brought to justice.

He called on all those responsible for the administration of criminal justice in the country to urgently conduct jail delivery on the Correctional Centres in their respective jurisdiction and to immediately direct the courts to relax bail conditions for non-capital offences to enable accused persons meet bail conditions and go home instead of compounding the congestion of the Correctional Centres with awaiting trial cases.

He asks such officials to consider and explore non-custodial sentencing by allowing for option of fine & community services as provided under the new Act.

He said further that where due to the nature of the offence, bail cannot be granted or custodial sentence is most appropriate, the Correctional service should immediately arrange for an isolation centre to quarantine the new inmates under the supervision of the NCDC for a reasonable period before they can join other inmates.