ANIMAL FARM IN NIGERIA: THE BLESSING EFFIONG STORY

The story of this young lady Blessing Effiong (pictured above in scarf) who at the age of 16 in 2008 was incarcerated at the female wing of the Kirikiri prison, reads like something out of a stranger than fiction novel especially in this era of wanton pillaging going on around the country.

All I could think of was "GEORGE ORWELL ANIMAL FARM COMES ALIVE IN NIGERIA. A REAL CASE OF ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS"...Sad really, to hear that she only just today smelt the air of freedom after 4 years of incarceration at the awaiting trial on a charge of possession of suspected stolen property (a phone handset). The almost 20 year old lady was released today after pleading guilty. Whilst not excusing her role in the events that led to her incarceration that has finally come to an end today, it is so unfortunate to hear that the sentence for this crime is six months and her release was because of time spent in detention. WHAT? arrant nonsense in my opinion; so in other words she has paid her debt to society 7 times over? and all she gets is a Byyour leave?..Meanwhile we have Rouges and Brigandes gallivanting around and feeding fat off their stolen lucre..

What Gives please? We Take Back Nigeria when we begin to understand that what is good for the Goose is also good for the Gander 

I am out raged that in this season of Faroukgate, Hembegate and all the gates there are, this young lady would just have been left to rot in prison but for the timely story reported by reported by Eniola Akinkuotu in The PUNCH of April 16.  

READ FULL REPORT HERE

INJUSTICE: Nigerian girl in detention for 4 years over phone theft!

By Eniola Akinkuotu

The case of Blessing Effiong, a 20-year-old inmate awaiting trial at the female section of Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos, perhaps typifies the injustice suffered by the poor in the Nigerian society.

The Akwa-Ibom indigene, who was interviewed by the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Ade Ipaye, and representatives of the Office of the Public Defender, during a visit to the prisons to evaluate the number of awaiting trial persons there, narrated in detail how she had been incarcerated since the age of 16 because she could not afford the services of a lawyer.

She said, “In 2008, I bought a Starcomms phone for N10,000 in order to start a business centre. A few days later, a man called me and said the phone was stolen from him. I told the man I didn’t know it was stolen. We had an agreement that I should return the phone and he would refund my money.

“I gave the man my address but when he got to my place, he said the phone was stolen from him along with his laptop and some other vital documents. He accused me of being a thief, called the police and had me arrested. I was charged with robbery and have been in Kirikiri since then as my trial has yet to begin.”

Effiong said she was arrested at her guardian’s house in Ebute-Meta but was transferred to the Agboju Police Division from where she was taken to an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.

She said although she was 16 at the time of her arrest, the Investigating Police Officer claimed she was 21 so that she would be tried as an adult

“I told the IPO that I was only 16 years old and that I knew nothing about the stolen phone but the IPO wrote 21 on my statement and claimed I was lying about my age. I was arraigned as an adult,” she said.

Effiong added that even after four years, her trial had not begun as the court was said to be awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

During the visit to the three prisons in Kirikiri – the female wing, male medium wing and male maximum wing, overpopulation was the first problem the authorities raised. They said it was owing to the large number of awaiting trial persons.

At the female prison, the total number of inmates as at last Thursday was 191 out of which 154 were awaiting trial.

There were many pregnant women and nursing mothers who according to prison authorities, were brought in that state. For instance, two sisters – Funmilola and Endurance Felix – awaiting trial were brought to the prisons pregnant. While Funmilola recently had a baby and named him Daniel, Endurance is eight months pregnant.

At the male medium prison, the total number of inmates stood at 2,455 while the total number of awaiting trial inmates stood at 2,197. Similarly, the male maximum prison has 554 awaiting trial inmates, while the number of convicted inmates stood at 257.

Copyright: www.punchng.com