The embattled spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh is experiencing a hard time in prison as he has been kept with suspected 419 inmates.
Peoples Democratic Party spokesman, Olisa Metuh
It has been revealed that the Peoples Democratic Party spokesman, Olisa Metuh, is being kept in a prison cell where financial scammers and those who had committed frauds were being held, Punch reports.
According to the report, It was learnt that Metuh, who was remanded at the Kuje Prisons, Abuja on the order of a Federal High Court, was isolated from other awaiting trial inmates to protect him from being harmed.
It was also revealed that he has been isolated from criminals who had committed violent offences like armed robbery, murder and other heinous crimes to avoid any foul play.
It was gathered that the prison authorities were following the standard laid down protocol in Metuh’s case by shielding him from violent inmates who could attack him at night.
The source further explained that Metuh had not been eating prison food, adding that he had made arrangement for his feeding, which he said was allowed.
A 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. 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; 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.”
When asked if the prison service was giving Metuh special treatment, the Nigeria Prisons Service Public Relations Officer, Francis Enobore, said all inmates were treated fairly and equally, stressing that “there is no VIP treatment for anyone in prison custody.”
Enobore said, “When an inmate is brought to the prison, the age, criminal records 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. And what are the criteria? Age comes to play here, criminal record is considered and the type of offence. We try to group people.”