The Nigerian Correctional Service, Kwara State Command, has denied being culpable in the death of a Kwara land agent, Alhaji Hussein Abubakar, who gave up the ghost last Friday in Ilorin.
The correctional service said contrary to reports, the 63-year-old land agent, who was on remand at the facility, died at the hospital and not within the facility.
The land agent was said to have been remanded at Oke-Kura Custodian Centre, Ilorin by a magistrates’ court following a land dispute, which became the subject of a lawsuit.
He was said to have died on Friday following a brief illness.
His relatives, however, alleged that the deceased died as a result of negligence by the Nigerian Correctional Service, who refused to give him adequate medical attention when he was sick.
A relation of the deceased, who did not want his name in print because he was not authorised to speak for the family, accused the judiciary and the authorities of the facility of neglect.
The family member said, “He (Abubakar) was involved in land deals that resulted in court matters. The court released him on bail but he could not appear in court on the day when he was to attend court because he was sick. So, he was picked up and detained since then, about four or five months ago. And he was not brought to court since then but was abandoned.”
However, the Kwara State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service denied culpability in Abubakar’s death.
The NCoS said that it took the necessary steps by taking the deceased to the hospital when he was sick, adding that “he died in the hands of his children.”
In a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Adegbulugbe Philip, the NCoS said,
“The awaiting-trial inmate, Hussein Ishola Abubakar, was an awaiting-trial inmate in Old Ilorin Custodial Centre, Okekura and came with three court warrants, one from the high court, another from the magistrates’ court, and the last warrant from the area court.
“The deceased inmate was suffering from heart disease.
“The correctional service has no right to release any inmate without a legal warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction.
“He was taken to the General Hospital for treatment and he died in the hands of two of his children right in the hospital.
“Treatment of inmates above the capacity of the custodial centre clinics are referred to the government hospitals for normal treatment as done in the case of Hussein Ishola Abubakar.
“Hussein Ishola Abubakar gave up the ghost at the General Hospital, Ilorin in the presence of two of his children.”
The statement quoted the Controller of Corrections, Kwara State Command as enjoining the general public to “disregard the said malicious publications rather than the fact that Hussein Ishola Abubakar died at the General Hospital, Ilorin, in the hands of two of his children and the fact that the correctional service has no legal right to free or release any inmates without a legal warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction.”
