Dambazau launches manual on female prison inmates

The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau has inaugurated a manual for the management of female prison inmates in the country.

Performing the ceremony on Monday, Dambazau said the manual will provide the officials with skills and knowledge of the global best practices in the management of female inmates and their infants in the country.

He said the problem of congestion in prisons is not only for the prisons as it requires collaboration with the courts, law enforcement, and lawyers. He said the poor investigation of cases also contributes to delays in the conclusion of trials, resulting in the high number of awaiting trial inmates in prisons.

Also speaking, Reverend Father Ambrose Ekeroku of the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation (CAPIO), who organized the programme with the support of Voice, a Dutch organization, said the manual was developed to bridge the gap in prison management in the country.

He said the manual provides guidelines for the provision of gender desks in prisons, construction of female prisons, creches, upgrade of clinics for pregnant inmates, and Borstal Homes in prisons for juveniles among others.

In his address, the Executive Director of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE), Sylvester Uhaa called on human rights group to take interest in the plight of women in prison as many of them are innocent.