A human rights advocate, Comrade Israel Joe, has fiercely criticized the Delta State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) for outrightly dismissing reports of the alleged incident instead of acknowledging and addressing the issue.
In a bold press statement, the activist issued a seven-day ultimatum to the authorities to disclose the truth or face a large-scale demonstration starting at the Okere Correctional Centre, where the scandal is alleged to have occurred.
The press release titled ‘RE: NCoS denies releasing inmates for robbery operations in Delta’ states:
“I am disappointed with the NCoS for their denial of the criminality of their inmates in Okere Prisons in Warri. I want to emphatically state that this denial would meet a stiff resistance as we are giving them 7 days ultimatum to unravel the truth or risk a massive protest.
“We cannot keep hiding the truth and denying institutional corruption in the face of covering institutional images already damaged and battered by rotten-ness. The prison has been bewildered by continuous corruption highly coded from public eyes. However, this particular action would not be allowed under the carpet by such officials.
“If the prison authorities can not release the suspects to police for prosecution and can’t discipline their officials for this action, then we are coming with a massive protest. The prison gates should just go open so that all prisoners can be released.
“If democratic principle of fairness, equity, and good conscience would not be adhered to, let’s all dramatise the shamelessness of the prison authorities to the entire world. Again, I Comrade Israel Joe along with my ready team of passionate Nigerians hereby give 7 days to the prison authorities or risk the massive protest against institutional corruption starting from the prisons.”
Federal Government Launches Investigation
Despite the Delta State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) denying the allegations, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered an immediate and thorough inquiry into the reported criminal activities within the Okere Correctional Centre in Warri, Delta State.
His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Babatunde Alao, issued a statement on the Minister’s behalf, stating:
“I will not allow indiscipline to fester under my nose. Any officer found wanting will face the full weight of the law. The leadership of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) must provide explanations.
“We take these allegations seriously and will not tolerate any form of misconduct within our correctional facilities,” he emphasized.
Recall that the Delta State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) had previously dismissed the claims in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, SC. Allen Iloba, describing the reports as entirely false.
The statement read: “The attention of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Delta State Command has been drawn to a purported online report with above caption by an unreliable source ‘Warri Aproko II’ alleging that officers of the NCoS released inmates from the Medium Security Custodial Centres Warri to go for ‘Omila operation’ (suggestive of Robbery Operation) and thereafter return them to the facility.
“The Command wishes to emphatically submit that this report making rounds on social media is false, unpatriotic, and a vile figment of the imagination of the writer in its entirety, as it is fabricated to truncate the existing peace in Warri and maliciously drag the name of this reputable institution (NCoS) in the mud.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no inmate on Death Row under any guise is allowed to get close to the gatelodge, talk much of going out for robbery operation. Apparently, the writer is utterly ignorant of the modus operandi of the NCoS, hence the malicious report was intended to mislead the general public. Warri Aproko has no office/email address or phone number(s), only a faceless Facebook account where unconfirmed stories are posted. What credibility can come from such?
“The Nigerian Correctional Service, Delta State Command implores media outlets to diligently verify their stories before going to press and advises the public to disregard the baseless report in its entirety.
“The NCoS officers are committed to upholding justice and ensuring that inmates in our custody are reformed, rehabilitated, and properly reintegrated at the expiration of their sentences.”
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