In Maiduguri Maximum Security prison, lunatics dwell with others

There are several lunatics living among the 486 inmates of the Maiduguri Maximum security prison ,most of whom are young and likely to get better if they can access proper medication.But the fact that they live in the midst of other criminals and lack parental care, their chance  of getting proper counseling is very slim.
One of such lunatics, Hamza Dauda who has been on the awaiting trial list for four years,  told Justice Alkali Gana Wakkil who represented the Chief Justice of Borno state during a visit to the prison ,that he has not been taken to court for long for the continuation of his trial and therefore requires  justice.
Earlier, the officer in charge of the prison, Deputy Controller of Prisons, Lumsan A. Kaye told the visiting  judge that there are so many inmates in that prison with psychiatric problems, including the case of Hamza Dauda,  about whom  he said the psychiatric hospital in Maiduguri has written a medical report on him which the prison authority forwarded to the court trying his case.
Kaye, who noted that the prison is not conducive for inmates with psychiatric problems, lamented that the clinic in the prison yard is not properly equipped to handle psychiatric patients and urged the courts to find a better way of handling their cases.
The prison boss commended the good relationship existing between the judiciary and the prison authority, noting that the state chief judge recently bought tyres for the prison vehicle used in conveying inmates to courts for trial, adding, “There is quick dispensation of justice here in Borno state compared to what is happening elsewhere. Here there is speedy trial of cases.”
He said because the prison was not originally built to accommodate female inmates, the block provided to accommodate female inmates does not have a courtyard, hence they are always under lock and key which he said is boring, saying, “Because of the harsh weather condition in Maiduguri, inmates on awaiting trial require Vaseline. We request that members of the public should please assist them.”
Most of the inmates that spoke to the visiting judge complained of failure of the authority to take them to court on the scheduled dates of their trial for the continuation of their cases. Yusuf Abdu said he has not been to court for the past ten months now.

Another inmate, Umar Yakubu who is standing trial for armed robbery, said he has been in detention for six years and has not been to court for over ten months, adding, “I was charged to court along with six others. All the six others are on bail. I am the only one in detention and they are not taking me to court,” he said.
Representative of Human Rights organizations in the entourage of Justice Wakkil, noticed 14-year-old Mohammed Bukar who is too young to be in prison. Justice Wakkil asked the prison officer to explain why Bukar is in the prison.
DCP Kaye said there is no remand home for teenagers in the state to accommodate Bukar, adding, “When he was first brought to this prison for admission, I noticed he was too young to be in prison. But when I realized that he was being accused of culpable homicide and the relations of the person he is accused of killing, were waiting outside for him to be rejected and they pounce on him, I admitted him to save his life.
“It is true that we do not have mattresses in this prison, but we have mats and we have an adequate supply of water. The food we feed the inmates with is also good. What we do not have are enough plates to serve the food, but the quality and quantity of food we serve is of good standard,” he said.

DCP Kaye conducted Justice Wakkil round the male hostels, the workshops where inmates practice several trades, and the kitchen where inmates prepare food under clean environment.
At the workshops inmate tailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, welders and potters were seen at work, while some inmates were seen playing a football match with children of prison officers within the prison yard.
Responding to the remarks made by representatives of the Human Rights organisations, Prison authority, Attorney General of the state and the Legal Aid council, Justice Wakkil said he was not there to take any decision on any matter, but will rather make a report to the state Chief Justice.
Giving an insight into the report he intends  to submit, Justice Wakkil said though some of the complaints about inmates not being taken  to courts for trial, is largely as a result of the fact that most of the judges supposed to handle the cases are now members of various election tribunals.
He lamented that the inability of the relevant authority to pay stipends to lawyers assigned to handle cases of accused persons facing capital charges, is stalling trials, saying, “Look at the case of the Legal Aid council who said he is handling over 30 cases alone ,and yet does not have an official vehicle to even visit his clients in prison. How do you expect him to do his job effectively?
“We have so many non-Nigerians in this prison that ought to be deported to their countries either immediately after they finish serving their terms, or go to their countries and serve their various terms. They have no business  being  here. I have invited the Comptroller of Immigration to this visit so that we can strategize, and when the necessary approval is given, we deport them to their countries,” he said.