Owerri prison overcrowded — Comptroller

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—The Federal Prisons, Owerri, built by the colonial masters, now houses over 2,200 inmates, in excess of its original carrying capacity of about 500.

Comptroller of Prisons, Mr. Chris Chuks Okoye, disclosed this when he played host to the leadership of Orji Aborigine Congress, OAC, led by the Administrator-General, Chief Amanze Njoku, in his office.

“Of the 2,213 inmates, only about 179 have been tried and convicted, while 2,034 are awaiting trial,” Njoku said.

He blamed the excessive number of those awaiting trial to a number of intervening factors, including the prosecution agencies and the judiciary.

Njoku lamented that some of the inmates have spent more time in prison custody than they would have spent if convicted.

He appealed to the prisons high command to consider the indigenes of the state during employment exercises.

In his remarks, the Comptroller of Prisons said:“The congestion has sadly overstretched the facilities and personnel, thus leading some inmates to leave the prison more hardened than they were before incarceration.”

Njoku, however, said despite the challenges, the establishment was still delivering on its core mandate, especially keeping malefactors out of circulation.

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