Nation

Reps Probe Prison Breaks Nationwide

Published

4 years ago

April 23, 2021

The House of Representative at yesterday’s plenary mandated its Committee on Reformatory and Correctional Institutions to investigate the incidences of prisons breaks across the country.

The House also urged the Controller of General of Corrections to immediately reinforce the armed squad of the service as part of measures to prevent reoccurrence.

The parliament also called for effective collaboration between the federal and state governments to tackle threats to the facilities, and particularly beef up security around the correctional centres nationwide.

While also asking the service and other security agencies to intensify efforts to recapture escapees in view of the danger it portends, the House also sought the amendment of the extant rules to enable members of the Controller General of Corrections into the National Security Council.

The resolutions were reached following the consideration of a motion under matters of urgent public importance, titled, ”Need to Investigate Jailbreaks Across the Country with a view to Forestalling reoccurrence,” sponsored by Hon. Chudy Momah from Anambra State.

Presenting the motion, Momah said that the attacks on correctional facilities have become a threat to internal security.

He said: “The spate of attacks on Correctional facilities across the country in recent times which has become a source of internal security threat to the country.

“The last couple of years, cases of jailbreaks have been recorded across the nation instigated by both internal and external forces.

“Correctional centres in Borno, Enugu, Oko, Konto-Karfe, Oyo, Kano, Edo, Ondo and Owerri, amongst others, have been attacked and a huge number of inmates released into the society.

“Recent jailbreaks particularly the Owerri case where 1,844 inmates were released and operational tools completely destroyed have heightened insecurity in the country.

“The forewarning of the jailbreak was, allegedly, not acted upon by concerned security agencies to prevent the attack despite proximity to the correctional centre”.

The lawmaker warned that if no action was taken to curb the attack, it may worsen the debilitating security situation.

“This pattern of Jailbreak, the audacity and sophistication with which it was carried out portends great danger for the country.

“The armed squad of the Nigerian Correctional Service in its present form and character is not adequately equipped to deal with these challenges hence the need to strengthen the security architecture of the service.

“Occurrence of jailbreaks are the most consequential effect of poor prison management and government neglect-a situation that best describes the Nigerian correctional facilities, an indication of failing prison system.

“The Correctional Act, 2019 which repealed the Prison Act, 2004 provided for the rehabilitation and reformation of inmates and eventual reintegration into the society as well as for measures to eliminate overcrowded correctional facilities, which in itself instigates violence and enables jailbreaks.

“The Controller General of Corrections is not a member of the Nigeria Security Council given the need for effective intelligence sharing and collaboration among security agencies.

“The general insecurity in the country and increasing concern for the safety of lives and properties aggravated by recent jailbreaks across the country.

“Continuous violation of our correctional facilities, if not checked, could lead to further deterioration of current insecurity in the country”, Momah said.

Adopting the motion after a positive voice vote, the House gave the committee 60 days within which to conclude the assignment and report back to the House for further legislative duties.

Nation

Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina

Published

1 week ago

February 14, 2025

The Tide

The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.

Nation

Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three

Published

1 week ago

February 14, 2025

The Tide

The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.

Nation

AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition

Published

1 week ago

February 14, 2025

The Tide

The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.