The Nigerian Prisons Service would subject
handsets and SIM cards that were recovered from the Kuje Prison inmates
including a Boko Haram prisoner to forensic analysis, The PUNCH learnt
on Wednesday.
One of our correspondents learnt that the
analysis would allow the authorities to determine who the inmates had been
communicating with while in custody.
The service had seized about 25 cell phones from
the inmates on Monday resulting in a riot, which led to the lockdown of the
facility.
The officers fired gunshots and tear gas to subdue the unruly inmates.
The NPS’ Public Relations Officer, Francis
Enobore, told one of our correspondents that the seized handsets would be
subjected to analysis after which a full investigation would commence to
determine how the handsets found their way into the prison cells.
Enobore explained that cell searching operation
was normal, adding that the prison authorities usually carried out periodic and
routine searches of cells, workshops and other places the inmates could hide
weapons or prohibited substances.
He said, “The seized objects will be subjected to
analysis after which a report would be collated and necessary investigation
initiated; that is the tradition. Indicted officers will also be sanctioned.
“The analysis of the phones will help us to know
who the inmates have been talking with; this will give you a good lead on the
investigation. When you hear cases of riots or jailbreaks, it is usually
carried out through unauthorised communication. That is why the CG has made it
very clear that he will not tolerate trafficking of banned materials in the
prisons.
“Our existence as the prisons service rests on
our ability to maintain tight security in the prisons and the CG is bent on
ensuring that any trafficking of articles will not be tolerated.”
Enobore added that any officer indicted for
bringing the prohibited materials into the prison yard would be sanctioned.
“Am not denying that some unscrupulous members of
staff may be involved, but there are so many means through which unauthorised
articles go into the prisons — from relatives, lawyers and even our members of
staff.
“If you don’t have people compromising standards,
where will the inmates have access to these banned articles?” he said.
The spokesman observed that it was normal for the
inmates to resist the search because they were always looking out for things
that could aid their escape from custody.
“From time to time, we carry out searches and
remove these things; there is nothing unusual in finding all these things
(banned materials). You are keeping people against their wishes, and it is natural
for them to want to look for things they could use to escape incarceration,” he
stated.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra has
alleged that the Federal Government masterminded the failed jailbreak at the
Kuje prison in order to assassinate its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
IPOB also added that the Federal Government used
her secret police, the DSS through the prison authorities and warders in Kuje
prison to execute its plans against Kanu.
In a statement on Wednesday in Umuahia, the Abia
State capital, by the Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, the group
said it observed through an intelligent unit that the US Secretary of State,
John Kerry’s visit to the North was a plan to teargas those in Kuje prison.
He added that the riot was targeted to make Kanu
die a systematic death through a poisonous teargas shot to his room.
The statement partly read, “No wonder, the DSS
and prison authority in Nigeria had deals to break so many prisons in Nigeria
to deceive the general public to penetrate into Nnamdi Kanu’s
cell in Kuje prison where the leader of IPOB is being
detained.
“We also accuse the Federal Government and the
DSS of the incessant jailbreaks since three months or more, it was a ground to
perfect plans to kill Nnamdi Kanu, there were a series of jailbreaks in the
country starting from Kogi State, Nsukka in Enugu State and Abakiliki in Ebonyi
State where they killed seven prison inmates in the name of attacks on those
who break jail.
“They were on a mood to kill Nnamdi Kanu and
claim that he was among those inmates who wanted to run out of the prison.
“We are calling the international community to
provide medical experts to examine the health condition of Kanu because the
teargas thrown into his cell room was a poisoned one.”
Copyright PUNCH
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