Controller of Kaduna State Correctional Centre, Sanusi Danmusa, has confirmed the centre rejected a convict brought in by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a directive from above to protect inmates from coronavirus.
He stated this while reacting to claims by Kaduna Zonal Office of the EFCC that one convict, Sadiq Mustapha was brought to the centre but turned back.
EFCC had on Wednesday secured a seven- year jail term for Mustapha without option of fine before Justice Mallong Peter of the Federal High Court, Kaduna for obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N6,100, 000 and operating illegal bureau de change.
Mustapha was arraigned on December 2, 2019 on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and operating a bureau de change without authorisation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Trouble began for the convict following a petition by one Abdulsalam Danlami Abubakar, who alleged that sometime in 2016, Mustapha lured him into transferring the sum of N6,100.000 in three separate transactions from his Zenith Bank account to that of his company, Abueleven Limited, domiciled in a bank for exchange with dollar equivalent of $ 20,000 USD.
The Correctional Centre Controller said the centre stopped accepting new convicts and visitors to check the spread of the virus.
On the issue isolation centre, the Controller it is only for inmates who might show any symptoms of COVID-19.
Responding to the rejection, the Zonal Head of EFCC in Kaduna State, Yakubu Mailafia, said he was highly disappointed with the policy of Kaduna Correctional Centre.
He lamented that there must be an isolation centre in all the correctional centres across the country to quarantine convicts or inmates when the need arises.
“EFCC has limitation of detaining inmates and correctional centers are the last bus stop of convicts. If their are rejected, where can we take them to?” he queried.
The convict is at Kaduna Zonal Office of EFCC custody.
The Nation