Ngige visits 793 youths languishing in Onitsha prison

Senator representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly, Dr Chris Ngige yesterday wept for hundreds of youths languishing in Nigerian prisons.

Ngige lamented the number of inmates in the Onitsha prison particularly which is accommodating 793 instead of just 326 inmates it was meant to accommodate.

He therefore urged the federal government to be more proactive in the area of welfare of the inmates and appealed to the federal government to appoint more Judges for the federal and High courts for speedy dispensation of justice. He said the Senate would legislate on decongestion of Nigerian prisons.

Ngige said, ‘’ I am here to celebrate the New Year with the inmates who unfortunately found themselves in this place. We have gone round and discovered that the prison that was meant to accommodate just 326 now contains 793 inmates out of which 708 are awaiting trial while only 85 inmates have been convicted. Part of recommendation the Senate Committee on Judiciary had submitted is for the federal government to increase the number of judges and for the prisons to be decongested. We also have plan for the State Committee on Clemency to be more proactive” . 

He further said that the Senate through the Committee of Judiciary had made a recommendation that would lead to the possible ways of decongesting the prisons.

He added that the National Assembly is also working on another recommendation to the National Judicial Commission, NJC to recommend more judges for appointment, adding when federal government appoints more judges to increase the number of benchers, it would among other thing result to speedy trail and inmates will no longer stay more than necessary.

 Senator Ngige further said that part of the recommendations by the Senate Committee on Judiciary included recommendation to the federal government to appoint more Judges for the federal and High courts for speedy dispense of justice

Earlier, the Comptroller Prisons, Onitsha, Mr. Ndupu Azuka commended Senator Chris Ngige for finding time to come and celebrate with the inmates, describing it as a mark of love and benevolence on his side and assured him that the management of the prison will always do their best to take proper care of the inmates.