The Campaign for Democracy on Friday appealed to the Federal Government to decongest Onitsha Prison to give the inmates a sense of love and belonging.
Chairman, CD South-East Region, Comrade Uzor Uzor, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Onitsha that the prison facilities had been over-stretched due to overcrowding of inmates.
Uzor said that the prison meant for 326 inmates now accommodated over 800 inmates.
According to him, out of the 801 inmates, 719 of them are awaiting trial.
Uzor said that the over-crowding had led to fast deterioration of facilities and items donated by philanthropists to the inmates.
“The state of the Onitsha prison is not something to write home about.
“The situation could have been worst if not for the intervention of the church and public-spirited individuals and organisations.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government to either expand the facilities or build more prisons in Anambra to accommodate the inmates,” he said.
He said the government could decongest the prison through jail delivery, judicial visits, use of alternative justice system and granting prerogatives of mercy to inmates.
When contacted, the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons in-charge of Onitsha Prisons, Mr Azuka Ndupu, lauded the Federal and Anambra Governments for their roles in managing the situation at the prison.
Ndupu, however, urged the government to prevail on the judiciary to hasten hearing on the inmates’ cases.
He admitted that the cells were not meant to accommodate such large number of inmates. NAN
