Skip to main content

Girl detained in prison,four years for phone theft





The case of Blessing Effiong, a 20-year-old inmate awaiting trial at the female section of Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos, perhaps typifies the injustice suffered by the poor in the Nigerian society.


The Akwa-Ibom indigene, who was interviewed by the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Ade Ipaye, and representatives of the Office of the Public Defender, during a visit to the prisons to evaluate the number of awaiting trial persons there, narrated in detail how she had been incarcerated since the age of 16 because she could not afford the services of a lawyer.

Nigeria prison


She said, “In 2008, I bought a Starcomms phone for N10,000 in order to start a business centre. A few days later, a man called me and said the phone was stolen from him. I told the man I didn’t know it was stolen. We had an agreement that I should return the phone and he would refund my money.


“I gave the man my address but when he got to my place, he said the phone was stolen from him along with his laptop and some other vital documents. He accused me of being a thief, called the police and had me arrested. I was charged with robbery and have been in Kirikiri since then as my trial has yet to begin.
Effiong said she was arrested at her guardian’s house in Ebute-Meta but was transferred to the Agboju Police Division from where she was taken to an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.
She said although she was 16 at the time of her arrest, the Investigating Police Officer claimed she was 21 so that she would be tried as an adult
“I told the IPO that I was only 16 years old and that I knew nothing about the stolen phone but the IPO wrote 21 on my statement and claimed I was lying about my age. I was arraigned as an adult,” she said.

Effiong added that even after four years, her trial had not begun as the court was said to be awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

culled from The Punch

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Empowered woman

I think being a woman,I mean a real woman is one of the hardest things ever!. You won't agree with this only if you are not a woman,but if you are a woman,then congratulations to you.You are a mysterious being but then again this congratulation goes to the 'real woman'. The real woman is that person that makes everything difficult seem easy.She is a hard worker,faithful friend and partner,a good manager,a home maker,a lover,a confidant,a mother,a sister,a daughter,a visioneer...Someone,may say,"Yea, ok...I'm not a mother or I'm single and so does that make me not a real woman?Of course not!. Age,class,status,beauty or achievements do not define a real woman,but character does. I can't but wonder at the stories we hear these days about women.I marvel at the rate of evil perpetuated by women in our society.Prostitution is old wives tale but when women are involved in armed robbery,kidnappings,terrorism,gang rape,adultery,fraud to mention a few,then by a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Career Woman

I stumbled upon this beautiful article on IFP while researching on other stuff and thought to share it. It's a 4 minutes read. I totally agree with it. Gender equality seems to be the one issue that isn't going away. Many of us like to believe sexism is something that only plagued the workplaces of yesteryear, but unfortunately it still exists. Don't believe us? Well, in 2016 just 57% of the world's  working-age women  were in employment, compared to 70% of their male counterparts. And even the females who were in work were struggling to catch up with the men. Women with  full-time jobs  still earn only about 77% of their male counterparts' earnings. Of course, the issue is complex and many expect that because most countries have made it illegal to pay women less than men, that gender inequality has fixed itself. However, problems surrounding  unconscious bias , parental leave, and outdated stereotypes about gender roles persist in the workplace. But what are th...
Post a Comment
Read more

How can we share love in a world void of love?

As each day passes,I see that so many people do not understand what sharing love is all about.Just last night,I saw a man,not a boy.I mean a full fledged man beating up a lady just by the roadside as if she were some common thief.On inquiry,I discovered she was his girlfriend.Did I hear you say,what?!!!.mhnnn...the feeling is mutual,but come to think of it,he may have had a reason which he felt was good enough to beat her up.Someone may say no reason is good enough...chapter closed. I remember sharing with you earlier that every person has a reason for every action he/she takes,wether good or bad.If he had beat her to death,he will still have a reason for his action and he would engage the services of a lawyer who will readily defend him in the court of law.That's the kind of world we live in...simply void of love. You know,on television this morning,I just kept hearing the news on rape.In case you are thinking the victim may have caused it for herself,well sorry to diasppoint ...
Post a Comment
Read more