Chief Metuh, who is facing charges relating to the $2.1bn Dasukigate scam under which money voted for military purposes found its way into private pockets, has appeared in court twice lately. At his recent hearing, the judge ordered that he be transferred from the custody of the DSS and handed over to the Nigerian Prisons Service pending him being released on bail.
He has subsequently been moved to Kuje Prison where officials have decided to keep him in a prison cell where financial scammers and those who had committed frauds were being held. Officials decided to keep him isolated from other awaiting trial inmates to protect him from being harmed.
Prison officers are also keeping a tight watch over Chief Metuh to prevent any foul play as they wait to see if he will meet his bail conditions and be released. Normally, prison authorities usually isolate high profile inmates from other criminals who have committed violent offences like armed robbery, murder and other heinous crimes.
It was gathered that they have now decided to follow this standard laid down protocol in Chief Metuh’s case by shielding him from violent inmates who could attack him at night. So far, Chief Metuh has not been eating prison food and has made arrangements for his feeding, which he has been allowed.
One prison source said: “The prisons service has a standard procedure they follow when it comes to high profile inmates or VIP detainees as you call them. One, we don’t allow them to mix with other inmates for safety reason and secondly, we don’t keep them in crowded cells, but they are kept with those who may have committed a similar offence or offences.
“In Metuh’s case, we are observing the same protocol as he is being held in a cell where people who had committed similar offences were being kept. That is, those who did not commit violent or capital crimes and we are keeping a serious watch over him to prevent any foul play.”
Nigeria Prisons Service spokesman Francis Enobore, said all inmates were treated fairly and equally, stressing that there is no VIP treatment for anyone in prison custody. He added that Chief Metuh like any inmate involved in a high profile criminal case, was kept with inmates who had allegedly committed similar offences, adding that this is according to laid down criteria in the prison system.
Mr Enobore said: “When an inmate is brought to the prison, the age, criminal record and type of offence he committed are considered before we place him in a cell. When VIPs are sent to us, we isolate them from criminals who are in prison on account of violent offences like armed robbery, murder and other heinous crimes.
“We send them to a cell that houses people of similar offence record. We do what is called classification and this is according to laid down criteria.”
Comments
Post a Comment