Relations of IPOB women in Owerri prisons allege victimization from Deputy Controller of Owerri prisons, Freedman Ben-Rabbi men

www.odogwublog.com rpeorts that fresh crisis may be brewing at the Owerri prisons following the refusal of the authorities to allow relatives of detained members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) access to visitors and private food.

The women had last Friday, taken to the streets of Owerri to protest the unknown whereabouts of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu and also to demand for the conduct of a referendum for an Independent State of Biafra else there won't be any election next year.

The women alongside the five men arrested were arraigned on Monday on an eight count charge ranging from treason, to assemblage without permission, and causing fear and panic amongst the citizenry. A total of 112 persons were arraigned before a magistrate court that declined jurisdiction and ordered their remand at the Owerri prisons.

Spokesman of the Owerri Prisons, James Madugba told newsmen that certain conditions have to be complied with before the IPOB members can be allowed access to visitors.

He debunked the claims that the prison authorities were acting under a directive from above to deny access of visitors, adding that the Armed Personnel Carrier deployed in front of the prisons with police and army men was not to scare the relatives of the pro-Biafra women from visiting their loved ones in their facility, but to ensure security of persons.

According to him, the armored tank was part of new measures adopted to forestall prison breaks or any untoward situation regarding the inmates of the Prison.

Further, Madugba denied allegations of maltreatment of the IPOB members, especially the pregnant women saying "It is not also true that we exposed the women, especially the pregnant ones to cold and inhuman environment. However, the task of  admitting and registering 112 people in any prison facility in Nigeria is tasking. You don't just bring people into the prisons and the next minute you want to start visiting them .prisons is a regimented environment. There are regulations".

The Prisons spokesman said "The responsibility of interviewing, admitting and registering such number of women will take four days, it is after these processes that we can now allow families members to start visiting".

Madugba said "we did not ordinary deny family members access to the Biafra women who are in our facility .Also there is no order from above asking us not to allow relatives of the the women access to them.

He said already the Deputy Controller of Owerri prisons, Freedman Ben-Rabbi has addressed the visitors even as he added that rather than understand, they started protesting.

Madugba said "It is the routine and when we are through with the registration processes, their relatives can visit. The Deputy Controller has equally taken special attention of the women, especially the pregnant ones because of their gender. I assure you that they are being taken care of properly. They are our responsibility. And there is no order at all commanding us to be hostile to them", the Prison spokesman said. 

Meanwhile, their case has been adjourned to September 3 at the Owerri court.