It does appear that all the protests and criticisms brought
about by the relocation of about 47 Boko Haram detainees from the Northern part
of Nigeria to the Aguata Prisons in Anambra State have fallen on deaf ears.
During a recent visit by Vanguard Features, VF, to the prison, the presence of
heavily armed soldiers and prisons officials around the premises clearly
suggested that the Boko Haram prisoners were very much in residence there.
Apart from the disquiet this has engendered, many other
contentious issues pertaining to the relocation saga have begun to unfold. For
instance, two sister communities of Ekwulobia and Ezinifite are now laying
claim to the the ownership of the 11.5 acres of land where the prison yard and
warders’ quarters are situated.
Then there is the issue of capacity. The prison was
originally designed to accommodate 85 inmates but as at the time the 47 Boko
Haram prisoners were brought there, it already had 135 inmates. With the
addition of the 47 insurgents, the prison is currently harbouring no fewer than
182 inmates, 100 percent more than its original capacity.
Anambra traders protesting over relocation of Boko Haram
detainees
Protesting Anambra traders
Also in a reaction, the South East Zonal Chairman of the
Campaign for Democracy, CD, Uzor A. Uzor gave the Federal Government a
seven-day ultimatum within which to return the 47 insurgents to the North or
else they would mobilise all the human rights groups in the zone to occupy
Aguata Prison environment until their demand is met.
Uzor noted that the implication of relocating the insurgents
to South East zone is that it would constitute a security threat to the people
in the zone. He noted that a situation where the Aguata prison which was
originally designed to accommodate 85 inmates, already had 135 inmates before
the 47 insurgents were relocated there, bringing the total number now to 182,
does not augur well for the security of the zone.
Source-Vanguard
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