Shocking revelation: Rich Men (inmates) Are Allowed To copulate With Women For Free In Prison

They pay N50,000 for special cells, own generators for power supply
■ Sleep with women for a fee, hire others as domestic servants
■ Our laws allow separate cells for the rich –Prison authority

As Nigerians await the end result of the investigation panel inaugurated to examine what resulted in the recent riot in Kirikiri Medium Security prison, more facts have continued to emerge about what really transpired in the incident which claimed at least 3 lives and significantly more than 15 others injured. Coming to limelight are fresh claims by in­mates and ex-inmates there are privileged or super prisoners in Nigerian prisons, thus con­firming the most popular quote in George Orwell’s Animal Farm that most animals are equal however, many tend to be more equal compared to others. The Prison authorities, however, deny this insisting that no such thing happens inside their custody.

Investigations revealed that the prison riot was as the result of a move by the newly posted Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Kayode Odeyemi to strip some privileged prisoners of these privileges. Some inmates also accused the prison warders of diverting gifts made for them for  their personal use, adding that a lot of the materials seized from them by the DCP were subsequently sold for them secretly by the same officials. They insisted that preference was always given for some inmates that are called super or privileged prisoners.

In a bid to authenticate claims by the inmates, Saturday Sun spoke to some ex-inmates nearly all of whom were re-arrested by law enforcement while allegedly committing another crime. Among such is Obinna Enyinnaya who spent couple of years and eight months in Kirikiri Medium prison. Obinna was recently rearrested by operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Lagos police command 8 weeks after he got out from prison. He was found alongside seven others after raiding a residence in Lagos. He insists there are cells called privileged cells.

In a talk with Saturday Sun, Obinna recalled that whilst in prison, those privileged cells were meant for folks who could pay N50,000 and above to secure a space. “Those are created for the big boys who will buy the room for N50,000. They’re anticipated to be dropping money regu­larly or lose the space. If I’ve money, I can secure one. They’re the people that are al­lowed to make use of their private generators, cook their food and take advantage of table fans inside their cells.

“Our rooms are simply like school dormitory where many people are eligible to a bed space. It’s manageable particularly if you are seriously at­tached to a church. I fit in with the Pentecostal and was an usher. Since I’m worker in the church, I really do not require to serve the big boys to become okay. Although the foodstuff isn’t wonderful, I’ve other alternatives.

“They provide us food every Sunday, and toi­letries. We hardly get supply from the prison officials because we’re awaiting trial. Additionally they bring good clothes for us. It was there I learnt how exactly to sing and even wrote some songs”, Obinna narrated.

Another ex-inmate Henry Adebanjo, who was also re-arrested by the authorities, confirmed there are special cells and he was a ben­eficiary. “I stayed there for 8 weeks before I ran out of cash. Then I paid N40,000 to secure a place and was dropping N10,000 per month. It was a great experience, which was why I could leave the prison on time. I met the big boys who assisted me in obtaining a lawyer. Once in a while if they smuggle in women, we will share from the remnants. Some women do sleep in the private cells with inmates,” he said.

Another ex-inmate, Kayode Dada, who spent 10 years in Abeokuta prison, claimed he served Otunba Gani Adams, National Co-ordinator of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) while he was in prison in 2003.

Based on him, the OPC leader was some of those known as super prisoners. “They’re big men in the society and due to 1 reason or one other found themselves behind the bar. When these individuals arrive at prison, they find it too difficult to deal with the situation. They can’t fetch water to bathe. Additionally they find it too difficult to accomplish other certain things. When they’re confront­ed with such situations, they now give money to warders and prison officials to choose some people to simply help them carry out these chores. During my own time at Abeokuta prison, Otunba Gani Adams was taken to the prison. This is in 2003, I was among other inmates that have been assigned to be assisting him. I was in the prison for 10 years, between 1995 and 2005 when Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the then Ogun State governor, granted me clemency”, he added.

An inmate, who’s still in the medium pris­on, told Saturday Sun that until life is made better, no one should be forced to live in the hell hole called prison. “I have already been here for days gone by ten years and in an improved position to inform you what’s obtainable. It’s not new, I was once in Ikoyi prisons and I understand what’s obtainable over there. Try and visit the majority of the prisons, it’s common with the Medium prison, so the newest management there should stop pretending. They’re only finding a method to re-negotiate for an increased price and normally, in case a new comptroller is posted to the prisons, he’s to attend for approximately 8 weeks before payments will soon be paid to him. He should stop pretending not to be aware that some of those privileges were granted us whilst he was the PRO.

“Some people could actually enter the privileged section as a result of what we could afford. Initially, it had been designed for the big boys or politicians who’ve contacts in government. Nobody touches them or dares to disturb them. The sole dif­ference is that they’re in the prison. I was awaiting trial for days gone by 10 years, therefore, am not really a convict and no one should  treat me as such.”

On rumours of free access for girls to the prison, he explained laughing: “We’re not monks and besides, gay practice in Nigeria is currently a crime. How would you like people like us to sur­vive for 10 years without s3x. It’s impossible but that’s not the situation in contention. There’s no way they are able to completely erase those privi­leges unless they build a different prison for the big boys. Don’t tell me that you’re not conscious that some inmates spend their sentence in a pri­vate ward in the hospital. They leave the prison and are supposedly moved to a medical facility the moment their lawyer buys a court order from the judge. Some people prefer to stay in the prison, it’s cheaper particularly if you have spent a long time like me.”

Another inmate, who’s in Ikoyi prison, also confirmed there are special prisoners and there are so many in Ikoyi. “All of the cases listed below are big style cases and the inmates are generally big style suspected criminals and even armed robbers. They’ve the amount of money and any comptroller that’s posted to Ikoyi prisons must certanly be an anointed one and does everything humanly possible to stay in that position for long. Riots don’t happen here because we’re all mature and have an under­standing with the authorities”, he said.

He claimed there are reserved quarters in the prison where an inmate is eligible to a space and parlour, permitted to cook his food within the prison. “Am currently serving two masters and they’ve assisted me financially especially in providing for my young family that I left behind”, he added.

A cultural worker, who spoke with Saturday Sun on the reason for the recent riot in Kirikiri prison, accused the prison officials of stealing from the prisoners while he gave an alternative ver­sion of what caused the incident.“Government has refused to rehabilitate the prisons, and to make it worse, the prison warders are busy stealing the small money and gifts that inmates receive from outside.

“When individuals and religious bodies bring us , the warders don’t let them give it to the inmates directly. Normally, they’ll collect and share it among themselves. On the recent riot, there clearly was a re­ligious body that brought food for the inmates and kept it at the gate. A Christian leader, who’s an inmate, visited the person in-charge to beg for the things. When he wasn’t given the stuff, he complained and was locked up in the punishment room. The DCP gave orders that the inmate must be released and those things should be provided back once again to the inmates. When he got free, the inmates started jubilating, it went beyond control that many of them weren’t ready to enter the cell again. In place of attempting to calm them down, they introduced the arms squad with the dogs and used teargas to drive them away. Actually, several inmate died as reported.

“It wasn’t actually an instance of riot and some­one attempting to escape. The true reason was that the meals brought for the inmates was confis­cated by the warders. There clearly was an instance the place where a church brought significantly more than 1,700 packs of food, the warders diverted 900 and gave them 800 packs. It didn’t go around the inmates and a lot of them were punished. Even the one I led, we donated 115 bags of pure water, before we knew what was happening, all we saw left was just significantly less than 70 bags. It’s only that this time around around the inmates couldn’t bear it any more and chose to protest.”

He further alleged that most of the illegal things in the prison were earned by prison warders. “They should stop deceiving Nigeri­ans. Indian Hemp, generators, phones and so many other items are supplied by prison ward­ers. The moment they realise that almost every­body in the cell are able to afford a telephone has one, they’ll suddenly come and search and get back all of the phones.

“They will still sell those phones back again to the inmates. That’s not all, additionally there are chalets where women are kept each night to service in­mates that are able to afford it. At the medium prison, you will get N4,000 each night and N50,000 per month. In the event that you head to Kirikiri Maximum Pris­on, you will get a chalet for N50,000 a night. It’s also in Enugu prisons. You cannot just stop it, just like you can’t stop certain things happening in Aso Rock. The presidency cannot emerge to state that these things aren’t there”, the source added.

Not overlooked in the stunning revelation are prison officials who argued that the system stcannot be changed. A prison warder, who plead­ed anonymity, said that special prisoners are those augmenting their meagre salaries. “Natu­rally, there are designated areas for important personalities in the prison. They’ve relatives that determine who’s posted to which com­mand. They control things whilst in prison. It’s just that lot of other inmates which are not known but still rich receive the chance to take pleasure from these privileges. It’s our own means of surviving that does not mean that other inmates are increasingly being maltreated.

“The generators, phones and others are brought in to the prison on special arrangement. These exact things have been in existence and can not be changed so long as government has refuse to renovate the prisons. A lot of the inmates are here because when Nigerians get to see that they are outside while they certainly were supposed to be inside, hell will undoubtedly be let loose.

“It’s not merely common in Nigeria, it’s a uni­versal thing that in prison some receive pref­erential treatment. Even yet in American prisons, it is the same thing. I have heard of experiences from a number of our brothers who have been remanded in prison. I even know a man who smoked weed in American prison and those, who after returning from jail, kept going back again to the same crime, therefore, it is not a Nigerian thing.”

On alleged stealing of items intended for in­mates by warders, he explained laughing sarcasti­cally: “We’re all prisoners. There’s nothing wrong when we share a little bit of what’s brought by outsiders. The truth is that they always get enough.”

Another prison official, who also spoke with Saturday Sun, opined that in the prison is really a privilege. Based on him: “Here is the only place where you get the chance to getting extra pay aside from your salary. It’s true that they are not owing us again but no person who has a family could make any meaning­ful progress by simply based on our salaries. It’s just that the approach our boss took was too harsh unlike the others. He is very strict but he forgot that most of the persons in the prison are highly connected.

The main reason there clearly was a protest was he made a brand new rule and exempted a few of the privileged ones. He didn’t seize most of the gen­erators and phones. They know who they attack and it’s not fair. We’ve had peace in the pris­ons for sometime now before he came. If you wish to pass a concept, get it done over the board, no you ought to be exempted.”

In his reaction, Nigerian Prisons Service spokesman, Ope Fatinikun stated that investiga­tion to the riot was still ongoing and that the results will undoubtedly be made public.

Based on him, the acting Comptroller General of Prisons has setup an investigation panel which, he explained, was still sitting. “Lots of interested parties have develop their com­plaints. Don’t let’s pre-empt the panel’s out­come. The end result of the panel will undoubtedly be made public at the end of the  day.”’

He explained that there is nothing like super pris­oners or privileged cells. His words: “What we’ve that what the law permits us to do would be to imprison people according to their status in the society. Someone, who has contributed his quota to the society and established fact is rought in for stealing and we’ve all thesearea boys that their offence is stealing. We cannot lock up both of them in the same cell. We’ve to supply extra guard, since they (area boys) might threaten you (the rich) and force one to send money with their families. It’s accepted all around the world.”

On claims there are chalets in the pris­ons, Fatinikun stated that such claim is false. “There’s no hotel or chalet in the prisons, we don’t have that sort of law in Nigeria. Try and visit any inmate in the prison, you’ll know you that you will not ave close contact with  them. The visit is conducted within an open place where all the inmates will see you.

Conjugal visits are prohibited in Nigerian prison laws.”