By Longtong Ibrahim
Kaduna (Nigeria) – The Nigeria Prisons Service has revealed that it held a court sitting in the Prison for members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) who were in its custody because of the fear of attacks by other members of the Movement.
The Kaduna state Command Controller, Abubakar Garba Talba on Wednesday made this known while appearing before the judicial commission of inquiry sitting in Kaduna, North-west Nigeria. He also added that, aside from the fear of being attack, logistics and insecurity were other reasons.
According to him, 182 members of the IMN, also known as Shiites are in their custody as against the 191 suspects brought to it days after the December 12th clash in Zaria; noting that some of the suspects were brought in a critical conditions which the Prisons Service was reluctant to accept at the initial stage, but later accepted after much pleading by the state government.
Supporting Talba’s submission, senior Medical personnel with the Prison Services, Superintendent Dr. Onugha C. said the suspects were brought with various degrees of gunshots; a bullet was extracted from one of the Shiite which penetrated through him severally but eventually died 11 days after undergoing surgery, he said.
“On the 18th December when the suspects were brought, I mobilize other medical personnel.
“Two out of the 14 were with life threatening condition. We operated four, of which one died 11 days after surgery. The bullet extracted is in the prison custody.
“Most of them have been discharged from the prison hospital and have fully recovered.
According to the controller, the Kaduna State government provided personnel, materials and drugs worth three million of Naira to provide medical attention for them.
Also appearing before the commission at the Wednesday sitting were the Nigerian Police Service, National Emergency Management Agency, and the State Security Service.
