46 A’Ibom inmates miss court hearings due to no vehicles — Official

No fewer than 46 inmates awaiting trial at the Medium Security Correctional Centre, along Liverpool Road in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, are stranded and unable to attend court hearings due to the non-availability of operational vehicles to convey them.

The Officer in Charge of the facility, Chief Superintendent of Corrections, Samuel Bassey, disclosed this on Tuesday when members of the Eket Federal Constituency Media Professionals forum paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Bassey said some of the inmates were brought in from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area as far back as 2023 but have never appeared in court once because there are no vehicles to transport them.

He said, “Sometimes we have to go to the local park to hire minibuses that will convey inmates to the court. The decision is very risky as you must ensure that the person you engage is trustworthy.”

He queried how justice would be dispensed when inmates are not presented before the courts.

“Our jurisdiction covers nine local government areas with 18 courts. About 46 Inmates are there unable to appear in Court. It is difficult to take the inmates to court without having operational vehicles. None of our vehicles are functional. Even the one at the workshop cannot be fixed. We really need support to discharge our duties effectively,” CSC Bassey said.

The Officer in Charge said the facility had written several letters to the authorities requesting operational vehicles but had not received any response.

He appealed to government at all levels, corporate organisations, NGOs and philanthropists to come to their aid, describing the situation as “very worrisome” for both inmates and staff.

Bassey noted that the last vehicle donated to the centre was during the administration of former Governor Godswill Akpabio who is now the Senate President of the country.

He also raised concerns over the state of infrastructure, saying heavy rains in the southern part of the country had caused several roofs in the facility to wear out, exposing inmates to harsh weather conditions.

“Concerning the state of infrastructure, You can see that the heavy rains in the southern part of the country have caused several roofs in the facility to wear out and exposed inmates to harsh weather conditions. There is nothing we can do on our own to remedy the situation,” he added.

On welfare, Bassey said the Federal Government was feeding inmates adequately and that medical services were being provided at the facility clinic by trained professionals.

Bassey commended the media professionals for the visit and assured of stronger collaboration in the reformation and reintegration of inmates.

Earlier, the Chairman of Eket Federal Constituency Media Professionals, Enobong Nsimah, solicited collaboration with the centre to offer legal services to inmates without representation. He also proposed a partnership to train inmates in skill acquisition to aid their reformation and reintegration into society.

Members of the forum were later conducted round the dilapidated and worn-out residential quarters of correctional officers. They called on authorities to provide a conducive working environment and accommodation for officers to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.