Nigerian Prisoners Protest VIP Treatment Of Lebanese Suspects Linked With Terrorism
Protest broke out at the Kuje Prisons in Abuja on Thursday following
alleged preferential treatment of three Lebanese inmates by Prison
officials.
The three Lebanese are standing trial at a Federal High Court, Abuja, for terrorism and illegal importation of firearms.
The protesting inmates destroyed some amenities, including water pipes, electric cables and cell windows. A source told Punch that the angry inmates also splashed water on some of the prison officials who ran for their safety.
A Boko Haram inmate serving a life sentence was said to have fainted during the melee.
The Lebanese suspects were moved to the prison on August 2, on application by their lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), who claimed that they were no longer comfortable in the custody of the State Security Service.
The court had granted the application and the suspects were promptly transferred to Kuje Prisons.
“The tension was brought under control by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Operations, Mr. Segun Bewaji, who attended to the convict that fainted. But the inmates in the single cells were restive and refused to be pacified by the DCG.”
The Lebanese prisoners – Mustapha Fawaz, Abdallah Thahani and Talal
Ahmed Rodo – believed to be members of an international terrorist
group, Hezbollah, were said to have been allowed to use a particular
area of the prison ground for the Eid-fitri prayers while other inmates,
including Boko Haram suspects, were restricted to another place.
The three Lebanese are standing trial at a Federal High Court, Abuja, for terrorism and illegal importation of firearms.
The protesting inmates destroyed some amenities, including water pipes, electric cables and cell windows. A source told Punch that the angry inmates also splashed water on some of the prison officials who ran for their safety.
A Boko Haram inmate serving a life sentence was said to have fainted during the melee.
The Lebanese suspects were moved to the prison on August 2, on application by their lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), who claimed that they were no longer comfortable in the custody of the State Security Service.
The court had granted the application and the suspects were promptly transferred to Kuje Prisons.
