Agodi prisons: 9 arraigned over jailbreak

19.02.2008

Nine warders ar rested last year in connection with the September 11,2007, Agodi Prison jailbreak were on Monday brought before an Ibadan Magistrate Court for prosecution. They were conveyed to the court around 11.00am in an army green Toyota Hiace bus of Nigerian Prisons Service and dressed in prison uniform.

The nine, Olawoyin Dauda, Ayankunle Ayanwale, Chuk-wudi Daniel, Abraham Sunday, Omitade Benjamin, Edema Ikumapayi, Ilori Joshua, Ofor Ekpe and Yewande Michael were charged with the jailbreak, where several inmates reportedly died.

However, Yewande Michael was absent as she was said to be on course. Last year, inmates protested the deplorable conditions at the Agodi prisons, while several media reports alleged that the inmates were shot while protesting the death of their fellow inmate who was alleged to have died due to a deplorable state of the prison and lack of medical care.

The prosecutor Mr E.Eichoya, applied for an oral amendment of the charge against the accused and also sought the leave of the court to strike out Yewande Michael’s name, which the court granted.

Counsel to the accused persons, Oluseye Chukwurah however pleaded with the court to remand the accused at the Eleyele Police Headquarters for their safety both to protect them from where the offence was allegedly committed and make them readily available in court.

Chukwurah added that the court should order their case file to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) on time to hasten prosecution.