Abuja, Nigeria – Inmates at the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, have protested against alleged poor feeding and the mismanagement of donated food supplies, The Bureau Newspaper gathered.
The protest erupted after inmates witnessed prison officials moving bags of rice, which had been donated by a philanthropist as palliative, out of the food store. The prisoners accused the officials of stealing the rice meant for their consumption.
According to a prison official familiar with the incident, a truck containing 500 bags of rice was donated to the facility three months ago. However, approximately 200 bags were reportedly shared among the prison staff, leaving 300 bags for the inmates’ feeding.
A senior prison official, Mr. Shagba, allegedly encouraged the then officer in charge, DC Lamiya (retd), to take the remaining bags of rice for personal use rather than feeding the inmates, whom he reportedly referred to as “common prisoners.” Despite initial concerns from Lamiya about a potential protest, the rice was removed from the food store during the night and moved to the officer in charge’s quarters.
As expected, the inmates became aware of the removal and launched a protest, chanting protest songs and attacking the prison officials involved. It took the swift intervention of the state controller and the zonal coordinator to calm the situation.
The prison official added that, following the protest, several tough inmates were transferred to other correctional centres, and DC Lamiya retired shortly after. He was replaced by Dr. Alhaji Thomas, the new Deputy Controller of Corrections.
However, just days after Dr. Thomas assumed office, another truck of rice was donated to the prison. This time, Mr. Shagba reportedly advised the new officer in charge not to store the rice in the prison’s food store, fearing another protest. The rice was instead offloaded into the officer’s quarters.
An inmate confirmed the incident, accusing top prison officials of routinely personalizing donations meant for the inmates’ welfare. He added that the swift intervention of the state controller prevented a possible jailbreak.
When contacted for comment, Dr. Alhaji Thomas denied the allegations, stating, “All the allegations are lies. That is all I can tell you. If you are not far from here, you can come down to the prison so that we can do the investigation together.”
This is not the first time Nigerian prison inmates have protested poor conditions. A few months ago, inmates at the Jos Correctional Centre in Plateau State protested plans to reduce their food rations after receiving a tip-off about a downward review of their meals. The inmates reportedly refused to take orders and shunned their breakfast in protest.
The situation at the Keffi Custodial Centre highlights ongoing challenges within the Nigerian prison system regarding the management of resources meant for inmates.
