Prison’s pastor accuses Kirikiri controller of diverting inmates food

The inmate said to have started the bloody fight in the Kirikiri Medium Prison on Friday, last week, has accused the Deputy Controller of the Prison, Kayode Odeyemi, of diverting the food donated by visitors to the inmates.

The inmate, Christopher Dibia, aka G.O. (General Overseer), said the alleged diversion was among several reasons the inmates protested.

Dibia made the allegation on Wednesday during a fact-finding visit of the National Human Rights Commission to the prison.

Dibia is the leader of the prison’s Pentecostal chapel, Freedom Chapel.

He was convicted of attempted robbery in 2011 and sentenced to 16 years imprisonment.

Narrating how the protest started, Dibia said, “The problem started when a new Deputy Controller of Prison was posted here and he addressed us on the field. He said he didn’t want to see handsets and Indian hemps in the yard.

“We all complied because they had never been allowed before now.

“For the chapel, we have microphones and keyboards and they are most times powered with fuel.

“But he said he didn’t want us to use fuel again that we should use our voice. We told him the instruments were things that gave us joy and hope as prisoners. But he said no.

“Meanwhile, I have a congregation of over 700 inmates with workers numbering 180 in about five departments of the church.”

G.O. said the chapel managed until the problem of confiscation of gift items and donations to inmates started.

He said outside churches who brought materials for the inmates usually announced during services that they brought gift items, which they never saw.

He said, “The inmates started coming to meet me that they needed noodles, detergents, tooth pastes, and when I told them I didn’t have anything, they reminded me that our visitors announced on the pulpit that they brought stuffs for us.

“I was speechless because they were right. I didn’t know what the DCP was doing with the items maybe he was eating them or giving them to his family members. I met the DCP over the matter, but he didn’t do anything.

“On a day, I told him the inmates were angry and they said they would stone him.

“That made him angry and he asked the officers to put me in the punishment cell for telling him that. But after they pleaded for me, he allowed me to go.”