Collapsed bridge linking Oyo and Kwara hinders movement of prison inmates

Movement of prison inmates to courts from Mandalla Maximum Security Prison in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara has stopped following the collapse of the bridge leading to the prison.

The Officer in charge of the prison, Alhaji Abayomi Gbadamosi, disclosed this at Mandalla on Monday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the effects of the collapse of the bridge.

Gbadamosi lamented that apart from inability of the prison management to move inmates to courts located in llorin, the collapsed bridge had paralysed other activities at the prison.

“Operationally, the prison cannot make its statutory representation in various courts in llorin since the collapse of the bridge,” he said.

He said he could not take the risk of transporting the prison inmates through available alternative routes which he described as long, risky and tiresome.

 “It is basically not safe to carry our inmates through unofficial roads, whatever happens to them would not be explainable by me, and to play safe we decided not to go to courts at all,” he said.

The official said the prison authority would take the warrants of inmates who were supposed to appear in court during this period to seek for other dates of adjournment.

He said the situation had compelled the prison authority to reduce three shifts for its workers to two, so as to enable them walk through the river during the day time.

He appealed to the Kwara Government to take measures to make the bridge motorable, pending the period the Federal Government would commence permanent construction work.

Gbadamosi said the site of the bridge had been taken over by touts who were extorting money from people passing through the area on foot.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the old and long bailey bridge popularly called Moro bridge that links Oyo State with Kwara, collapsed on Oct. 31. (NAN)