The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) has dismissed reports alleging that an Awaiting Trial Person, Ayomide Adeleye, was no longer in custody.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Deputy Controller of Corrections, Abubakar Umar, on Monday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adeleye, 23, with Custody Number S-1995/24, was remanded at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kirikiri, Lagos, for alleged kidnapping and murder.
Adeleye was initially remanded on Sept. 26, 2024 on the order of an Ogba Magistrates’ Court Lagos State.
The same court on Dec.16, however, ordered his continued remand in the custody of the NCoS pending advice from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP).
“To set the records straight, the said inmate aged 23 years with Custody Number: S-1995/24 was remanded at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kirikiri, Lagos, for offence of kidnapping and murder on Sept. 26, 2024.
“This was done by Magistrates‘ Court 13A, Ogba, Lagos state, and he was produced to same court on Dec. 16 2024.
“The Service wishes to categorically state that the said inmate is still in the custody of the MSCC Kirikiri, Lagos, as ordered by the court, against the information being peddled by the mischievous report,” he said.
Umar said that there was another inmate with a similar name, Ayomide Adeleye, who was admitted at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos, on March 6, 2024, for alleged theft.
He explained that the other inmate was discharged and released on April 14 on the order of the court.
“It is clear that the report was targeted at misleading the general public and bringing the image of the service to disrepute.
“Media reporters are advised to confirm their information from appropriate quarters before going to press, to avoid dishing out falsehood to the public,” he said.
Umar quoted the Acting Controller General, NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche as assuring that the service was working tirelessly to ensure safe and humane custody of all legally interned persons.
Nwakuche reiterated the service’s commitment to ensuring that all inmates were properly reformed, rehabilitated, and resettled back into their communities.
He urged the general public to disregard the misleading report and to always verify information through official channels.
Adeleye, a 200-level philosophy student at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), confessed last September to killing Idowu, a 300-level student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAB).
He appeared before Magistrate Seyi Omodara at the Ogba Magistrate Court on 5 November 2024 and the court issued a remand warrant, authorising his detention at the Ikoyi Correctional Center pending advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. (NAN)
