The post is a first-person account of Nwoba Chika Nwoba experience of being in prison in Nigeria, specifically in the Abakaliki and Afikpo prisons in Ebonyi State. nwoba Chika Nwoba describes the poor conditions of the prison and the suffering of the inmates, including himself. He mentions that he was fortunate to have VIPs who were able to bring him food from outside the prison because he did not eat the food served in the prison. He also mentions that two young boys died while he was in prison.
He goes on to explain that many of the inmates in the prison are there on trumped-up charges and that the government of Ebonyi State, led by David Umahi, has thrown over 500 people in prison, including about 150 people who were arrested based on their activities on Facebook. Nwaba Chika alleges that the charges against him, which include being a cultist and killing five people, are false and were brought against him because he criticized the government.
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He calls on the incoming government of Ebonyi State to review the cases of those who are in prison on false charges and to release innocent young men who are wasting away in prison. He also expresses concern for the mental health of some inmates who have been in prison for a long time and who no longer want to be released due to memory loss or a sense of being disconnected from the outside world.
According to Nwoba Chika Nwoba on Facebook,
He Wrote:
This was how they served it to us in the prison every morning with half-cooked beans looking at us menacingly. Garri and beans. Ours was white garri, not oiled. It’s either you take it with beans or you eat beans alone, or you reject it. For the period of one month I was in the prison, I never ate food cooked there. Food was brought to me from the House of Representative’s Barr Idu Igariwe’s home in Afikpo.
People in prison are suffering a lot. Two persons died when I was there – young boys. You may not know what you are enjoying moving freely until you are pushed into prison or police cell. I’ll write an article about my prison experience on Iyierioba.com.
Half of Ezzas in Effiom are there till today. Some were picked from where they were learning skills and accused of having hands in the Ezza-Effiom war. The incoming government in Ebonyi State should review the cases that took Ebonyi children into the Abakaliki and Afikpo prisons. Innocent young men are wasting there. If I didn’t have VIPs who were for me, I would have remained there till now. What did I do? I criticized the Ebonyi State Government. They twisted it and prosecuted me for killing 5 persons in Ikwo LGA, being a cultist and more. Myself, cultist? Myself killing people? If I could be so treated, imagine the fate of those who don’t have personalities coming for them.
The Ebonyi State Government of David Umahi has thrown into prison quite over 500 Ebonyians over trumped up charges. Of that number, about 150 came from Facebook. Some of our people you think travelled didn’t travel. They’re in prison courtesy of Umahi, Nwifuru and Chinedu Ogah. Some are behaving abnormally there already. Some don’t even want be released agsin due to memory loss. Some no longer understand where they are. They’ve moved on. Prison has become a home for them. The Umahi’s crime against humanity is heavy. I don’t know why God spares people like Umahi.
The number of inmates from the community of Umahi – Uburu is up to 100. Their crime? It’s nothing to write home about. Some protested against Umahi taking their ancestral pieces of land for personal use, the next thing was a van arriving their shops and homes and taking them to police state command from where they are dashed unbailable allegations. Court sends them straight to prison. Who are the judges? The judges are pained, but they cave in to the order of the Governor be or be ready to lose their jobs. They openly say that Gov. David Umahi has interest in this matter, so, no bail for the young man.
NCN.
Overall, the post highlights the poor conditions and injustices that exist in Nigerian prisons, particularly in Ebonyi State. Nwoba Chika Nwoba calls for change and justice for those who have been falsely imprisoned.
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