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Army Blames Kuje Prison Break On Absence Of CCTV, low fence

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UBy Gloria Ikibah
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has blamed the attack on Kuje Correctional Custodial Centre in Abuja low fencing and absence of CCTV within the general area.
These he said were some of the things that was observed and was not in place before the incident occurred in 2022.
The Army Chief disclosed this during a one-day investigative hearing on two motions, “Decongestion of Correctional Centres in Nigeria” and “Call on the Nigerian Correctional Service to Account for Inmates that escaped from Kuje custodial facility”, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The hearing was organised by the Joint House of Representatives Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Justice, Police Affairs, Interior and Human Rights.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that terrorists broke into the facility on July 5, 2022, and freed hundreds of inmates, including Boko Haram members.
He further stated that prior to that incident, the Nigeria Army through the Guards Brigade Commander, had written series of letters to the Deputy Controller General concerning some of the security observations about the facility.
“We know that the Deputy Controller General is doing is everything possible to see if most of these equipment that would enhance the security is provided. However it was still on the process when the incident happened.
“One of those things was the issue of lightning. During the period, we noticed that there was no lightning within the general area. It’s not as if it was deliberate. Efforts were being made by the Deputy Controller to see if we could find solutions to some of these challenges.
“We also observed that the place where the Kuje Prison is located is more of a built up area and that gives room for a serious security challenge where a lot of civilians are living among the prison environment.
“These are some of the challenges the environment created. We also observed issues of low fencing and CCTV absence within the general area. These are some of the things that we observed and these things were unable to be put in place before the incident. I want to believe that these things would have assisted the guards”.
Lagbaja, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Commercial Law, in the Directorate of Nigerian Army Legal Services, Major Peter Ogbuinya said the situation does not call for trading blame but aimed at getting a possible solution and forestalling a similar occurrence.
He said: “We the Nigerian Army are playing a complementary role to the correctional centre by virtue of provision of guards to assist the correctional centre.
“However in the Correctional Centre, Kuje to be precise, Nigeria Army is not the only security agency that is deployed there. There are other sister agencies that were also deployed. Unfortunately the day the incident took place, there is what we call rotation among the troops, rotation of troops. Take for instance the end of every month, troops would be rotated. New soldiers would be brought in to replace the old ones.
“Unfortunately it was that day during the period of rotation that the incident actually took place. I wouldn’t want to comment on the possibility or otherwise of having an insider, looking at the period the incident took place”.
According to him, soldiers that were deployed at the time were still being probed and if found culpable in the incident would be appropriately punished.
“On our own side, the troops that we deployed are under investigation and the military hierarchy is still working on possibly finding out if there is any of the soldiers that had failed to do what they were expected to do and possibly disciplinary action taken but as it is, it is still within the military hierarchy and military courts to look at the matter critically to know if the soldiers that were deployed had done the needful,” he added.
The Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, who stressed the need for the decongestion of the correctional facilities, said Nigeria has a total inmate population of 78, 519 against a capacity of 64, 192.
The CG wasr epresented by the Deputy Controller General, Training and Staff Development, Tukur Mohammed Ahmad,
He said, “The decongestion of custodial centres has become the concern of all and sundry partly due to the unending challenges it causes to the criminal justice system in Nigeria. Efforts are put in place by the Federal Government to cut costs of feeding the inmates which often runs into billions of naira annually.
“The NCOS maintains 265 custodial centres across the country, with the capacity of 64, 192 against a total inmate population of 78, 519 as at March 18, 2024. Of this actual inmate population, 70 percent represents persons on awaiting trial.”
He said to achieve the speedy decongestion of the correctional centres in the country, there is need for the completion of the 3000 capacity new custodial centres that are built across the six geopolitical zones.
Increased unding he said was needed by the Service to achieve these
Earlier, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, lauded the Committees for their joint efforts on the fact-finding mission to the root of the overcrowding nature of correctional centres in addition to the inmates that escaped from Kuje custodial facility, two years ago which left the nation in utter embarrassment.
He said the ultimate objective of the investigative hearing is to examine the activities of the correctional service in order to promote accountability, transparency and responsiveness in the running of the agency for enhanced service delivery, contribute significantly to the overall progress and development of our country.
Chairman of the Committee on Reformatory Institutions, Comrade Chinedu Ogah, said the congestion of custodial facilities across the country is an affront to human rights and a major drawback of the criminal justice system with very dire consequences.
Ogah said incessant violations of correctional centres and inmates escape are extremely embarrassing and a security threat to the nation.
He expressed their resolve for a holistic overhauling of the system for effective and purposeful justice delivery and for optimal performance of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
“I wish to assure you that the Committee with the strongest support of the Leadership of the House, led by Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD) is poised to engage all legislative tools at its disposal to ensure effective and efficient criminal justice system second to none in the world,” he said.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, who was represented by Mrs Ayola Daniels said efforts have been ongoing towards decongestion of correctional centres nationwide.
He said the Ministry of Justice supported the efforts to decentralise the correctional service to allow states establish and manage their own correctional centres.
This, he said, was achieved through the alteration of the constitution that moved the correctional service from exclusive to concurrent list.
He said this is expected to fast track the decongestion of Correctional centres nationwide when properly implemented.
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LASG shuts down Idera market over ‘environmental pollution

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) says it has sealed off the Idera market in the Oshodi metropolis.

In a statement on Thursday, Ajayi Lukman, LAGESC spokesperson, said the agency sealed the market due to unhygienic practices and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which contravened the environmental law of the state.

He said the measure was taken to enforce adherence to environmental cleanliness across registered markets in the state.

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‘‘Our operatives stationed across the Oshodi division during routine market monitoring identified the filth, unhygienic practices, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse around the Idera Market area, which prompted us to seal off the market until further notice,” the statement reads.

Lukman quoted Olaniyi Cole, the corps marshal of the agency, as decrying the level of hygiene at the market, which could lead to an outbreak of diseases.

He said Cole frowned at the inability of the market leadership to provide a valid waste collection contract, which resulted in the heaps of refuse in the facility.

He added that the display of wares for sale on road setbacks, lay-bys, medians, verges, kerbs, street trading, and hawking remained banned in the metropolis.

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The LAGESC corps marshal reiterated the ban on the sales, distribution, and usage of styrofoam in the state, noting that anyone found culpable would be punished decisively.

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Hours to Edo guber polls, major opposition candidate crumbles structure for Ighodalo

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Hours to the Edo State governorship election, the guber candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP)Amb Osalumese Areloegbe on Thursday morning collapsed the structure for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie Esq.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Benin City, Areloegbe said his decision to collapse the structure for the PDP candidate was because he believed that Ighodalo had all it would take to govern the state to greater heights.

According to him, I urged all my followers and supporters to disregard any information that I have aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

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“I am supporting Asue Ighodalo because he is competent, not that I am not competent but I believe Asue is on the forefront. That is my reason for supporting his candidacy.

“My party is aware because they have been having a series of negotiations for us to align with the APC, and I told them categorically that I am supporting PDP. My eighteen local government followers are in full support of my decision, I mean 100 per cent supporting the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie in this election.

“My choice for Asue Ighodalo is because, apart from myself, I see him as the next better candidate that I can support and I can put my weight on because he has the capacity, mentally, physically and otherwise to pilot the affairs of Edo State to greater heights.

“The national secretariat of my party, APP – they are in Abuja and I am in the state, and know much more of what is happening in Edo State. They are not here and don’t know what is going on here in Edo. And I am in a position to tell them what will be better for the Edo people.

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“There is a parable that says, ‘You cannot shave a man’s head when he is not present’. I am here in Edo State and I know who to support and why I am supporting him. The national leadership might have taken a different tone, but this is what I and my followers have chosen.

“We had a series of other politicians who had made such decisions before. That is why I agreed with the support of my supporters to collapse my structure for the governorship candidate of the PDP Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie.”

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SAD! Woman reportedly d!3s in Osun building c0llapse

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A resident of Ifetedo in Osun State, simply identified as Idowu, had reportedly died in an incident of collapse building that occurred in the town.

The collapsed structure was said to be a dilapidated building that suddenly caved in and killed the woman.

A resident of Ifetedo, simply identified as Ogunyemi, while speaking to The PUNCH on Thursday, said operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, responding to a distress call, were at the scene of the incident.

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Some NSCDC operatives rushed to the scene after they were informed of the incident. They were joined by some other people in the community.

Idowu was the only person in the building when the incident happened. She was brought out dead from the rubble.

“The incident caused panic in Omiloode Area, where the building is located. The building that collapsed is a dilapidated structure,” Ogunyemi said.

Osun NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Kehind Adeleke, when contacted confirmed the incident, adding that the scene was immediately cordoned off by security men.

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“An abandoned dilapidated building located along Omiloode Street, Ifetedo collapsed and killed one Mrs Idowu, who was said to be around the structure when the incident happened.

“The tragic incident occurred at about 17:30 hours on Tuesday.

“Officers and men of NSCDC Ife South Division, upon getting information rushed to the scene of the incident for rescue operation. But unfortunately, the woman had passed on. She was brought out of the rubble dead. The site was immediately cordoned off,” Adeleke said.

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