Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 16
They called it “Correction Centre” but it is
actually a “Corruption centre”. I can
authoritatively say that Prison
administration in Nigeria is far from being a
corrective institution. It is a den where
greedy, demented and desperate men in
uniform take advantage of helpless men that
are under lock and key. I pray for you today
as you read my story that you and your
loved ones shall never be inmate to any
prison anywhere. In prison, you are reduced
to less than a human being! You have no
rights, no privileges! You are at the mercy of
the Warders. To survive in Prison, you have
got to have strong outside connections.
People die daily that we got tired of crying
when anyone died.
Corruption starts from the entrance gate! It
is all about money. Sometimes I wonder if
these Warders do not receive salaries, or
maybe all our Para-military services in
Nigeria are just there to extort and exploit
the helpless Civilians. The Warders will do
anything for money! I cannot list all of the
atrocities that go on in the Prison because it
comes in varied forms; all you need to keep
a Warder under your control is to buy him
or her.
After spending six months at the Abakaliki
Prison without a single Court appearance, I
then understood why some of us had been
there for years praying and waiting for Gods
intervention. There were professionals of
various fields convicted for varying offences
in Prison. Fraudulent Bankers, negligent and
fake Doctors, indicted Police and Military
Officers, Advance fee fraudsters, Armed
Robbers, Rapist, prostitutes that murdered,
drug traffickers and politicians.
The list is endless. But in prison, we are all
reduced to the same. We are all criminals
according to the warders, either convicted
or awaiting trial. Sometimes a convicted
fellow brought to prison would serve his
term and gain freedom while you are still on
trial for an offence committed before the
convicted fellow went to jail. Justice is
severally delayed in Nigeria which always
leads to justice denial.
I once called one of the Warders called
“inside inside” he was called “inside”
because he usually commands that an
stubborn inmate or a new inmate be sent
into the innermost cell, put am inside!
Inside! He would command and that earned
him the nick name “inside”.
Oga inside I beg I want to talk to you: I had
requested one night when he was
inspecting the sleeping inmates in their Cells.
Na wetin? He retorted
Oga! I beg na wetin be my fate now? I don
dey here for six months now and nothing
don happen! Not even a Court appearance!
Abi una want make I die here? How
someone go dey for ATL for six months
without trial? I enquired.
Listen Yoruba man! He said: na only six
months you don spend here and you dey
hala! You no dey ask your fellow criminals
how long them don stay here? Or you no
meet many of them for here? Ehn? Answer
me!
But Oga Inside! Is it fair? I asked; how una
go just abandon us here like that without
any hearing for Court?
Na me bring you here? He challenged; you
dey craze? See as you dey talk to me sef! See
me see trouble with this silly and criminal
Yoruba Soldier o! Na me send you to go
commit? In short why I dey waste my time
dey talk to you sef? Ngwa! Go back to sleep,
go inside! Inside! He began to hit the metal
gates with his Baton furiously that other
Prisoners woke up and started shouting at
him to stop disturbing their sleep, I
hurriedly laid down and pretended to be
asleep while Oga Inside was still exchanging
words with inmates hurling insults at him.
An inmate of mine, a former Banker told me
that one really needs money to get anything
he wants from inside the prison. I did not
believe him at first until after I had spent
one year.
February 1993, I was told by Oga Inside that
my case will be heard in Court in two days.
He told me to better be ready and I said I
would. I did not understand.
I told my fellow inmates the good news and
they were happy for me, our mindset in ATL
was that it is better to die than anticipating
death. So going to Court was a step in the
right direction, at least I have been made to
know that I cannot get a death sentence as
the evidences against me were not
substantive to nail my coffin. I would get a
sentence for purchase of stolen property
and the term would run concurrently.
Oga Inside and another Warder came to
pick me up on the D day, along the Corridor
of the Prison, Oga Inside asked me to settle
him before we get to the waiting black
Maria that would take us to Court. I told him
I did not have money.
But you tell me say you go dey ready nah! He
said
I no sabi say na money you day talk about
nah! I think say you dey advise me to get
ready for the Court appearance; I replied.
Advise you? I be your lawyer? Okay o! no
wahala! You think say you get sense no be
so? He asked
Oga Inside! I no understand you o! I don
dey here for one year now, you don see me
with money before? Even if I borrow, how I
go take pay back? I asked him.
No worry nah! Yoruba People too dey claim
like say na them sabi book pass everybody!
Go come! I dey wait for you here! Agaracha
must come back! He walked out on me and
the other Warder.
On our way to the Court, the Warders
collected money from every inmate in the
Van; I did not have a dime so I was instantly
blacklisted but I begged them and promised
to make it up to them, how? I did not know.
You think the Government care about the
Prison service? How do you think we fuel
this Motor carrying you to the Court? Look
let me tell you, you better change o, else you
will rot here, one of the Armed Warder told
me; let me tell you, he continued; call on
anyone you know, any relative at all to help
you get money! Without money, you will die
in here! Money makes things happen here!
When we encountered traffic hold up along
the way, we looked through the window of
the Van and called out to Passersby for alms
which many gave to us by sliding naira
notes through the window, a certain
woman ran after the van banging at the
door, one of the Armed Guards opened the
door to ask her what her problem was,
having surveyed to see that she was alone,
she threw in a wad of naira notes on the
floor of the Van and stopped running after
us. The monies collected were countered
and shared amongst everybody including
me even though I got the least amount. I
tucked the money in my anus. Yes that was
the only purse we kept our money.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Our files were brought up before the
presiding Judge and one after the other we
were called up for hearing except for me. I
was the last person on the pew when the
Judge looked up and asked for any pending
file when she realized that no other file was
presented to her and I was yet to be
attended to.
Where is the case file of that young Man?
She had asked the Court Clerk
The Clerk hurriedly left the Court and
reappeared after ten minutes with my file.
My case was read but there was no defense
Lawyer representing me, no witnesses were
present, Sergeant Godwin was not present.
Only the state prosecuting Lawyer was
present so my case was postponed to April
8th 1993 while two of us were discharged
and acquitted.
As we were being driven back to the Prison,
I was told by fellow inmates that I should
have been prepared, I should have
discussed with my Lawyer before the day of
the hearing, my lawyer would have being in
Court to ensure my case file was brought up
for hearing; all in all, it boils down to the
importance of one major factor, money!
The Driver veered off the road to the back of
a petrol Station along Ogoja road and
parked, I knew they were up to something
and I was curious. Five minutes later there
was a whistle signal and two of the inmates
removed their Prison Uniforms and gave
them to the Warder, the back door of the
Van opened and two young Lads entered,
they pulled off their Clothes and gave to the
two inmates who wore the clothes hurriedly
and went out of the van while the new
strangers were given the Prisoners
Uniforms to wear, the Warder told them
their names and was giving them a brief
induction when the signal whistle went off
again.
I peeked through the Window to see a sleek
black car parking by our Van, the back door
opened again and a Politician inmate went
out and entered the Car, we waited for
Fifteen minutes before he entered with a
travelling bag, he thanked the Warders and
gave each a fat envelope and he shared
money to all the inmates in the Van. I was
wowed but I was happy.
We stopped at a Market along Afikpo road
and the Van parked again and one of the
Warders asked if we want to buy anything,
we all gave him money and he listed our
demands on a piece of Paper, I requested
for Garri and Groundnut. He was gone for
an hour only to return with a “Ghana must
Go” bag full of our supplies. When we got to
the Prison, we had to settle all the Warders
from the entrance gate to our Cell gate; they
already knew we would return with goodies
especially as the Politician had gone with us.
Having settled all parties, my bag of Garri of
about fifty kilogram was brought into my
Cell by Oga Inside at night, he told me to
keep it covered with my Blanket. That was
the first ray of light in my darkness.
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