The Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazau has disclosed that the Port-Harcourt Prison which was built for 804 prisoners it currently accommodates 4204 inmates.
Dambazau made the disclosure when he paid a courtesy call on Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in his office in Port-Harcourt. The Minister told the governor that the Stakeholders Panel on Prison Decongestion recommended Rivers as one of the states from the six geopolitical zones for the construction of a 3000 capacity Prison. He added that the Federal Government’s proposed Prison Project would be carried out on a land that was allocated to the Prisons Service in 1979 in Bori, Rivers State.
In his remarks, Governor Wike promised to provide necessary supports and cooperation towards the commencement and completion of the new prison project. The Governor further called on the Federal Government to complete the ongoing construction of a prison at Omoku so that it could decongest other prisons in the state.
The Controller General of Prisons, Ja’afaru Ahmed, told the Governor that the contractor handling Omoku Prison had been contacted to hasten the project for early completion. Others in the Minister’s entourage are Success Bello, ACG Works and Logistics Abuja; Dr JJ Olorunmola, ACG, Zone E’; Commissioner of Police Ahmed Zaki, Controller of Prison, Rivers State OT Tinuoye; Controller of prisons, Bayelsa State VU Chabua, and officer in charge Port Harcourt Maximum Prison, DCP Felix Lawrence. Others are Commanders of Sister Agencies in the Ministry of Interior, Immigration, NSCDC, And Federal Fire Service. ASP Juliet Ofoni Command PRO Rivers State Command
