Governor Ugwuanyi Calls For The Relocation Of Enugu Prison

             

 The Executive Governor of Enugu State on Thursday called for the relocation of the Enugu prison close to Ogbete Main Market Enugu.

                The Governor made this call to the FG when he visited the Prison in company of Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof Bem Angwe and the Senator
Representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Senator Chuka Utazi after observing the sorry site of the prison infrastructure

National Human Rights Commission delegates were in Enugu to ascertain its condition of the facility and level of compliance with basic human rights in the prison.

Gov. Ugwuanyi while noting that at the time the prison was built in 1915 when the present location was regarded as the outskirts of the city said that it has now become the city centre as a result of development and urbanization, thus making it unsafe and inconvenient for both the public and the prison officials.

The governor described the commissions visit as timely in view of the recent spate of jailbreaks across the country, adding that it would “help
provide insights into the immediate and remote causes of these incidents and also provide answers as to how such occurrences can be prevented in future”.

He called for immediate decongestion of the prison as the population of inmates has gone far beyond its capacity, and lauded the officials of the Human Rights Commission on their goal to secure justice for inmates who have been on awaiting trial list longer than their offence would have
attracted.

Earlier in his remarks, Prof. Angwe praised the governor’s humanitarian inclinations. “Some governors spend eight years without making a single visit to prison; but you have visited more than once,” he said.

Painting a grim picture of the situation at the prison, Prof Angwe pointed out that there are reports of inmates being incarcerated for 10 to 15 years while awaiting trial.

He explained that there are inmates who were arrested for the offences committed by their relatives, while some died in prison without autopsy being conducted to ascertain the case of their deaths.

He pleaded with the governor to help ease the problem of congestion by building additional blocks in the prison’s premises and thanked him for respecting the rights of citizens in the state.