By Editorial The Nation
Inmate鈥檚 processing of travelling document in passport office raises many questions
Although inmates in our correctional facilities as elsewhere deserve to be treated with some dignity, they cannot enjoy the kind of freedoms that law-abiding citizens are entitled to. Their movement, for instance, is restricted to the four walls of their correctional facilities, unless they are going to court, hospital (in cases where the facility in the correctional centres cannot handle their medical challenge), or when they are on special assignment.
In all these cases, there are procedures to follow and relevant documents in support of the movement must be obtained and tendered before they can leave the correctional facilities.
It is against this background that Nigerians saw as curious the report that an armed robbery convict, Haruna Ayo, was taken to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport office at FESTAC Town in Lagos, on May 19, allegedly for processing of travel documents.
According to reports, Ayo was among some five convicts selected to do some menial job at the residence of the officer in charge of the custodial centre on the day of the incident.
However, he was excused when an orderly told the supervising officer that he had instructions from another superior officer that Ayo be released to him.
That was how the journey to the passport office began.
But for the impatience of the warder that escorted him to the place, who mistakenly said that he needed to take him 鈥渂ack to the cell鈥, Ayo might have stayed longer at the place and perhaps concluded formalities for getting an international passport.
Read Also: Tinubu proposes formal Nigeria-OECS pact to deepen bilateral ties
It was this Freudian slip that raised suspicion among the immigration officers, who immediately detained both the inmate and the warder, and then alerted their superiors.
Ayo鈥檚 case is only about the latest scandal that has rocked our correctional centres in recent times. Some warders had been accused of extorting money from inmates, selling items donated to the custodial centres, and giving preferential treatment to some inmates and convicts in exchange for bribes.
We recall specifically last year鈥檚 incident in which the Baale of Kirikiri, Babalola Shabi, accused prison officials of collecting N35m to give the cross-dresser, Bobrisky, special treatment during his sentence. This led to the suspension of some senior officers.
Similarly, another set of officers at the Afikpo Custodial Centre, Ebonyi State, was also suspended for allegedly smuggling an inmate, Ibuchi Eze, out of prison, to visit his girlfriend.
There are many others.
Ayo鈥檚 presence at the passport office raises many fundamental questions.
One, was he supposed to be taken out of the custodial centre to do menial work in the home of any officer of the centre? If yes, which dress should he have worn to the place? Apparently he did not wear his prison uniform to the passport office because that would have raised suspicion early and he would have been stopped if there was no collusion with some people there.
From this and similar incidents in the past, it would seem there are rackets in the custodial centres. These incidents could not have been done by just one or two people.
It would also be interesting to know whether any hospital attended by the inmate played any role in the matter.
This country has had too many such embarrassing incidents in our custodial centres. It is high time we stopped those involved. Custodial centre officers aiding and abetting inmates to sneak out to enjoy the comforts of normal life in exchange for bribes are committing crimes and subverting the course of justice. They should not only be thrown out of job, they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
As a legal practitioner, Tolu Babaleye, noted, 鈥淲hen somebody is in a correctional centre鈥he whole idea is for the inmate to reflect, show remorse, and reform. But when that process is undermined and inmates are taken out for pleasure or personal errands, justice is subverted and the essence of the sentence is defeated.鈥
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) has confirmed the latest incident. Its national public relations officer, Abubakar Umar, said investigation was ongoing on it. Nigerians cannot wait any longer to know the outcome.