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Tagged Nigeria’s oldest prisoner, Pa Celestine Egbunuche, clocked 100 last Saturday within the confines of Enugu Maximum Prison.
The centenarian was condemned to death along with his son, Paul and another relation, now 87.
According to prison sources, Pa Egbunuche and others were involved in a fight over a piece of land, someone was killed.
Pa Egbunuche and two others were tried and convicted for murder — and for 17years—they have lived in desolation and despair.
On a bright side, Global Society for Anti-corruption, GSAC, a not-for-profit organisation has taken the campaign for his release to the Federal Government and Governor Rochas Okorocha to use their perogative of mercy and release Egbunuche, his 78 years old relation and son from prison.
Zonal Resource Executive of GSAC, Amaka Nweke, commended Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Priscilla Emehelu, for her recent prison visit where many inmates were granted freedom pleaded with her to look into the case of Pa Egbunuche whom she said their investigation showed might be Africa’s oldest inmate.
According to the NGO, Egbunuche is diabetic, coupled with his age and frail health, it will be proper to release him to go and possibly die peacefully at home.
If eventually released, the organisation requests that Federal and State Governments takes care of Pa Egbunuche’s rehabilitation.
Experts have submitted that, in other jurisdictions, inmates above 65 years are eligible for either parole or state pardon.
Emehelu lamented the congestion in various prisons in the state and called for immediate measures to address deviant behaviour in the society.
“We, judges are mindful of the onerous challenge of prison congestion and have consistently worked with stakeholders in the justice sector to ensure speedy and sustained case flow management.
“It is part of the commitment to effective justice delivery that necessitates our periodic visit to prisons, to provide bail and the release of inmates who have exceeded required prison term,” she said.
The chief judge pledged commitment of the judiciary to ensuring speedy dispensation of justice and expressed optimism that modern prisons would soon be built across the country, as promised by the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau (retd).
She applauded the Controller of Prisons in Enugu State, Mr. Ndubuisi Ogbodo, for ensuring that Enugu prisons became a reference point for others while assuring that another session of the exercise would be conducted in December, to further decongest the prisons.
Ogbodo who stated that prison was not punishment but for reformation, appealed to the chief judge for clemency to sick, old and juvenile inmates.
