Falana, in an affidavit deposed to by Ayodele Aribisala, averred that the prisons ought to be equipped with CCTV and other hi-tech equipment.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Lawyer and rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos over the government’s failure to provide monitoring devices, close circuit television (CCTV) and other instruments of restraint at the nation’s prisons.
The respondents are President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly and Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Kuje prison was attacked by terrorists in July. Hundreds of inmates escaped including 64 Boko Haram members. Nigerians were surprised to learn that there were no CCTV installations at the facility.
Falana, in the suit, wants the court to determine “whether the defendants are not under a legal obligation to provide monitoring devices, close circuit television and other instruments of restraint at Prisons in line with Section 28 (1) of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act.
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“Whether the defendants are not under a legal obligation to establish and maintain a fully equipped armed squad, intelligence at prisons, in line with Section 28 (2) of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act.”
Falana is also praying the court to “declare that by virtue of Section 28 (1), (2) & (3) of the Prisons Act, the defendants are under a legal obligation to: Provide monitoring devices to protect, control and safeguard prisons’ activities, including observatory towers, double perimeter walls, close circuit television, body scanners, e-monitoring devices, electrically activated alarm systems and other instruments of restraint.”
Falana, in an affidavit deposed to by Ayodele Aribisala, averred that the prisons ought to be equipped with CCTV and other hi-tech equipment.