804 capacity Port Harcourt prison accommodates over 4000 inmates - Minister cries out

macfranc007 March 10, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Nnenna Ibeh

- The minister of interior has revealed that Port Harcourt prison built for 904 capacity houses over 4,000 inmates

- Abdulrahman Dambazau said Rivers state has been recommended as one of the states from the six geopolitical zones for the construction of a 3000 capacity prison

- The minister told Governor Nyesom Wike that a federal government's proposed prison project would be carried out on a land that was allocated to the Prisons Service

The minister of interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, has decried the level of congestion in Nigeria prison facilities.

Dambazau said the Port Harcourt prison which was built at 804 inmate capacity currently accommodate 4,204 inmates in the state.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, the minister said the Stakeholders Panel on Prison De-congestion have recommended Rivers as one of the states from the six geopolitical zones for the construction of a 3000 capacity prison.

A statement by the spokesperson of the Rivers state command of the Nigeria Prison Service, Juliet Ofoni, said that Dambazau assured the governor that a federal government's proposed prison project would be carried out on a land that was allocated to the Prisons Service in 1979 in Bori, Rivers state.

Reacting to the minister's remarks, Wike promised that the Rivers state government will provide necessary support and cooperation towards the commencement and completion of the new prison project.

Wike urged the federal government also to complete the ongoing construction of a prison at Omoku to help de-congest other prisons in the state.

Also speaking, the controller general of prisons, Ja'afaru Ahmed, informed the Rivers state governor that the contractor handling Omoku Prison had been contacted to hasten the project for early completion.

Others on the minister's entourage are Success Bello, ACG works and Logistics Abuja; Dr JJ Olorunmola, ACG, Zone E'; commissioner of police Ahmed Zaki, controller of prison, Rivers state OT Tinuoye; controller of prisons, Bayelsa state VU Chabua and officer in charge Port Harcourt Maximum Prison, DCP Felix Lawrence.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that the Senator representing Kogi west senatorial district, Dino Melaye had said he was ready to be remanded in prison.

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Melaye made the statement during his arraignment by the federal government for allegedly giving false information to the police on an attempt on his life.

The Senator was slammed a two-count charge by the police for allegedly framing Edward David, the chief of staff too the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello

Kogi West senatorial district to recall senator Dino Melaye from the Nigerian Senate on NAIJ.com TV