SAN FRANCISCO, January 17, (THEWILL) – Angry prisoners over the weekend staged a peaceful protest which turned chaotic at the Okere prison, near Warri, Delta state.
According to Delta state owned broadcast station, DBS Warri, there had been tension around the prison since Monday, January 11,2016 over alleged high handedness by the officer in charge of the Prison, ASP Jude Okoro.
Local sources who spoke with THEWILL revealed that there was no jail break attempt throughout the protest.
“The inmates at the Warri Prison have been complaining about lack of water, electricity, high handedness etc. by ASP Okoro and that he was fond of carting away various items being donated to the inmates by charity organisations,” they said.
“They accused him of carting these items to Imo State where he comes from. The inmates demanded to see him on Monday through the Prison keeper to register their grievances, but he refused to make himself available.
“On Wednesday, he slapped an inmate for fetching water in the yard, saying he was wasting his water. Before he slapped the inmate, there has been tension in the Prison.
The source disclosed that on Friday the inmates requested to see the Controller of Prison in the state and when he failed to acknowledge their demand, they boycotted the food served to them.
“On Saturday morning, the inmates embarked on a peaceful protest, but it resulted into the riot when the driver to ASP Okoro started using teargas on the inmates and as a result of this, the inmates destroyed the administrative building and some of their cells and now they are demanding that ASP Okoro must go.”
It was learnt that the chaotic situation was brought under control through a reinforcement by the Nigerian Army, the Warri Area Command of the Police and the Prison Warders.
No official statement on the incident have been issued by the Prison Authority in the state. Efforts to get comments from ASP Jude Okoro were not successful at the time of filling this report.
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