Evans: Prisons Service to investigate call to Port-Harcourt inmate

THE Nigerian Prison Service has said it will investigate claim
by the arrested kidnap kingpin, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike also known
as Evans, of a telephone conversation with an inmate in Port
Harcourt prison to secure his freedom from the gangs.

Public Relations Officer of NPS, Mr Francis Enobore, who spoke
with Saturday Tribune on telephone, said it was against the rules
and regulation of the Service to allow an inmate have private
telephone conversation.

He, however, said such claims by “a high profile” criminal
should not be taken hook, line and sinker.

Evans, had while narrating his experience to police
investigators, disclosed that he too was a victim of kidnapping but
was set free by the gangs when a call was put to the leader of the
kidnappers in a Port-Harcourt prison.

He revealed that the gangs of desperate kidnappers had trailed
him from Nnewi, Anambra State, before abducting him close to
Onitsha in the same state in 2015.

According to reports, when he got to a spot close to Onitsha,
the gun-wielding gang intercepted and whisked him into their
waiting car and took off towards Enugu–Onitsha express way.

“When they ended up at a hidden spot which I later knew was
inside one of the riverside areas in Anambra State, they brought me
out for interrogation.

“I boldly introduced myself as Evans. Initially, they were
shocked but later they started looking at me with scepticism.

“I then asked them the name of their leader and after they
reluctantly told me it was ND, short for Ndubisi; I informed them
that he was serving a prison term at the Port-Harcourt prisons.
That was when they started believing that I was the notorious
Evans, widely known in crime circles.

“Nevertheless, they put a call to their leader in Port-Harcourt
prison and as soon as they mentioned my name, he ordered them to
take me back to where they picked me without delay.”

But the spokesman of the Prisons Service said even though
inmates were given access to dedicated telephone line provided by
the prison authorities, the use of private phones by inmates was
not allowed in prison.

Enobore said: “The fact is, telephone as you may have known is
one of the items not allowed for the prisoners to use while in
custody. A prisoner is not allowed to have access to telephone in
the prison.

“However, there is a dedicated line by the authority for the
inmates to discuss with their relatives, or their lawyers or
whoever they want to discuss with; that is within the ambit of the
law.

“Such discussions are normally held in the dedicated line Office
to the hearing of the officer supervising the inmates and the
inmate must speak in the language that the supervising officer
understands or they get somebody who understands the language to be
there,” he said.

THE Nigerian Prison Service has said it will investigate claim
by the arrested kidnap kingpin, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike also known
as Evans, of a telephone conversation with an inmate in Port
Harcourt prison to secure his freedom from the gangs.

Public Relations Officer of NPS, Mr Francis Enobore, who spoke
with Saturday Tribune on telephone, said it was against the rules
and regulation of the Service to allow an inmate have private
telephone conversation.

He, however, said such claims by “a high profile” criminal
should not be taken hook, line and sinker.

Evans, had while narrating his experience to police
investigators, disclosed that he too was a victim of kidnapping but
was set free by the gangs when a call was put to the leader of the
kidnappers in a Port-Harcourt prison.

He revealed that the gangs of desperate kidnappers had trailed
him from Nnewi, Anambra State, before abducting him close to
Onitsha in the same state in 2015.

According to reports, when he got to a spot close to Onitsha,
the gun-wielding gang intercepted and whisked him into their
waiting car and took off towards Enugu–Onitsha express way.

“When they ended up at a hidden spot which I later knew was
inside one of the riverside areas in Anambra State, they brought me
out for interrogation.

“I boldly introduced myself as Evans. Initially, they were
shocked but later they started looking at me with scepticism.

“I then asked them the name of their leader and after they
reluctantly told me it was ND, short for Ndubisi; I informed them
that he was serving a prison term at the Port-Harcourt prisons.
That was when they started believing that I was the notorious
Evans, widely known in crime circles.

“Nevertheless, they put a call to their leader in Port-Harcourt
prison and as soon as they mentioned my name, he ordered them to
take me back to where they picked me without delay.”

But the spokesman of the Prisons Service said even though
inmates were given access to dedicated telephone line provided by
the prison authorities, the use of private phones by inmates was
not allowed in prison.

Enobore said: “The fact is, telephone as you may have known is
one of the items not allowed for the prisoners to use while in
custody. A prisoner is not allowed to have access to telephone in
the prison.

“However, there is a dedicated line by the authority for the
inmates to discuss with their relatives, or their lawyers or
whoever they want to discuss with; that is within the ambit of the
law.

“Such discussions are normally held in the dedicated line Office
to the hearing of the officer supervising the inmates and the
inmate must speak in the language that the supervising officer
understands or they get somebody who understands the language to be
there,” he said.