The Nigerian Correctional Service, Akwa Ibom Command, has denied reports on social media of torture on lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, describing claims as fake.
There were reports circulated on social media that Effiong was handcuffed, assaulted and bundled into a van by officers of the command.
Effiong was jailed for 30 days for contempt by the Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot and was on Wednesday, August 10, transferred from Ikot Ekpene Correctional Centre after a 14-day isolation period to the Uyo Custodial Centre.
The Command made the clarification n a statement signed by Public Relations Officer Richard Metong on behalf of the Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service, Akwa Ibom State and made available to newsmen on Friday in Uyo.
It read: “The attention of the Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service, Akwa Ibom State Command has been drawn to the fake report being circulated on social media that Barr Inibehe Effiong was handcuffed, assaulted and bundled into a van by officers of the Command in a bid to secretly transfer him from Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre to Uyo Custodial Centre.
“The Command is constrained to state that this news is fake, baseless and an attempt by mischief makers to drag the corporate image of the Service to the mud.
“The general public is hereby advised to ignore, discard and disregard the fake news as this is a product of rumour mongers and attention seekers.For the purpose of clarity, Barr. Inibehe Effiong is safe, secured, unhurt and not tortured or humiliated.
“His dignity and human right are not violated in anyway. The human right lawyer was committed to a one month imprisonment in Uyo Custodial Centre by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State for contempt.
“As part of the efforts by the Service to prioritize the health and welfare of the inmates in custody and in adherence to the Covid 19 protocol, all inmates, upon remand or conviction, are isolated for a period of fourteen (14) days at the Isolation Block in Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre before they are transferred to any custodial centre in the state to which they are sentenced”
The statement further read, “On arrival at Uyo, he was duly admitted into the facility and was also informed of the need to cut his hair and beards as a security measure as well as a routine practice in the facility which he obliged and willingly allowed the barber using a clipper and not a blunt instrument as speculated on the social media.
“The Controller of Corrections hereby wishes to express the unflinching commitment of the Command to maintain and uphold the human right, dignity and well-being of the inmates, officers and men of the service in Akwa Ibom State.
“It also call on the stakeholders, civil society and the general public to collaborate with the Service to fully deliver on her mandates of safe, secure and humane custody as well as providing security to the society”.