An atmosphere of confusion engulfed Umuawom village in Iho-Dueze autonomous community in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State on Wednesday after a fleeing inmate was set ablaze. The victim was one of the 1,884 inmates who fled after gunmen attacked Owerri Correctional Centre on Monday. Our correspondent gathered that the escapee, who hailed from neighbouring Ogwa community in the Mbaitoli LGA, went to the family after returning home. He had accused the family of being responsible for his years of incarceration and wanted to get his pound of flesh. A village source said “The guy came back from the prison after the jailbreak, dropped his bag and headed straight to the family that he had problem with, which he said landed him in prison. “On sighting the prison escapee, the family became charged. The guy told the family members that he had come home and was ready to deal with them. Altercation ensued and he was set ablaze.” When contacted for comments, the police spokesman in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, said he had yet to be briefed officially on the matter. PUNCH

A bill pending before the House of Representatives is seeking to compel the Armed Forces and para-military organisations to permit female officers to wear Islamic veil, commonly known as hijab. The bill, known as the Religious Discrimination (Prohibition, Prevention) Bill, 2020, which has passed second reading at the House, was sponsored by the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Member representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, Saidu Abdullahi. Article 13 of the bill titled, ‘Discrimination in employment in security and other sectors,’ prohibits the military from discriminating against anyone wearing a hijab. Article 13(2) reads, “Any person employed in the security sector, whether within the military or paramilitary or otherwise, shall not be discriminated against on the ground of the exercise of his right to manifestation of his religion in worship, teaching, practice and observance such as wearing religious emblem, head cover, or hijab in concomitant with the common uniform code or code of conduct in relation to the choice of colour, type, or design of such religious emblem, religious head cover or hijab.” Although the bill does not propose any fine or jail time for persons who discriminate against persons wearing hijab, it states that anyone who contravenes the section would have committed an offence. It further states that the High Court will have original jurisdiction on such matters while the National Human Rights Commission shall have the power either on its own motion or upon a petition presented by an aggrieved person to investigate allegations of any violation of the provisions of the Bill ithin a reasonable time or not more than 30 days. Hijab, a veil worn by Muslim women, has become a controversial issue in Nigeria. In Kwara State for instance, an attempt by the government to impose hijab on Christian missionary schools is being resisted by the in-grant Christian colleges.

An exclusive investigation by Vanguard revealed that from the thousands of fleeing inmates some were said to have taken up menial jobs within and outside the Owerri metropolis to raise money. Vanguard was told that the choice areas for these inmates were brothels, motor parks, market square, even as some were said to have started the hawking trade. Also, some were said to have taken refuge in uncompleted buildings as their home as well as mingle around nightlife hotspots. Eyewitnesses narrated their experiences to Vanguard with the said inmates. The places visited by Vanguard include Control post along Onitsha road, Whethdral roundabout up to Poly Junction, IMSU junction as well as Irete axis on Owerri/Onitsha road. According to reports received by Vanguard, some notorious inmates do not want to go to their village, because they are afraid that they would be reported to the security agencies. Therefore, they engage in pick-pocketing at night to raise money quickly for themselves. Some on the other hand are looking to raise little money through cleaning jobs as part of starting afresh, just as some of them said they needed money to go back to their villages, as their people are not even aware that they were in prison for many years and that they were imprisoned by intimidation and false allegations against them. Those who said they had an encounter with some of the inmates, one Chike, known as “iron” said: “Our happiness is that my guy is back from prison thanks to the people who released them. My brother all the way from Ebonyi came to do hawking business and was arrested that they demolished Eke Ukwu market in Owerri. He committed no crime. We did not know he was in prison.” Another drama was said to have played out in Control post, a group of said to be “bad boys” jubilated over their freed friends one of which was said to have been arrested in connection with an alleged robbery/kidnapping between Control post, World Bank and Hospital junction along Owerri/ Port Harcourt road. They said: “Our men are back. We are drinking and enjoying. Work begins, who be police. Signal my man is back. They can’t come out now, later in the night. Men can’t go back to the village. That one no-follow.” A businessman, in Irete, who did not want his name mentioned said: “Some of these inmates are innocent. Two of them were in my friends business premises. They opened up and said they were among those freed and explained how they got into prison. My brother, you will shed tears. “Our people are suffering. They pleaded to my friend, that they want to join his boys in offloading bags of cement and clean up his business premises in order to raise money and go home. They said they are from Ngor Okpala local government area and have been in prison for more than 15 years. But my friend gave them N5000 and gave them food and that they should go home.” In another encounter, a source, owner of a business/entertainment outfit around one of the nightlife areas in Owerri, who chose to remain anonymous said: “Is it not the prisoners that now work as cleaners? They are responsible ladies just that they look famished and malnourished, but with time they will be Ok. What they need is just rehabilitation as some of them complained that they did nothing that should warrant their imprisonment. “Some of them are now in market places, motor parks as cleaners, some doing hawking business. It is not everything we see we say sometimes. You see, they are ready to wash plates. Some of them have repented. Some of them did not commit any offence. This is is wicked country”.