admin
.…..Birthed three children in Calabar while in prison
In a shocking revelation that exposes the deep-rooted corruption and systemic rot within Nigeria’s prison system, Osita Ogbiri, a convicted murderer who escaped during the infamous Owerri Prison jailbreak on April 5, 2021, lived a life of startling freedom while in jail.
Ogbiri, popularly known as “Shina Rambo,” was imprisoned for the brutal killing of eight persons. However, his time behind bars was anything but punitive.
Investigations reveal that Ogbiri not only funded the construction of a building project in his hometown of Mmahu, Ohaji-Egbema LGA, Imo State, but also fathered three children with his wife in Calabar while supposedly incarcerated.
The house that was being built by his brother under Ogbiri’s direct supervision and funding, stands as a glaring symbol of the latitude enjoyed by some inmates within the Nigerian prison system.
Astonishingly, Ogbiri was apparently able to move in and out of prison freely, visiting his family in Calabar, impregnating his wife, and fathering three children.
As at the time of his escaping from prison, Ogbiri had already spent 13 years in prison and his three children were then aged 6, 4, and 2.
Observers describe such level of freedom that allowed Ogbiri to maintain his criminal influence even while behind bars as disturbing, to say the least.
Few months after his escape during the Owerri Prison jailbreak, Ogbiri returned to his community, where he allegedly led a gang in a late-night attack on Mmahu, killing seven persons. Among the victims were the Town Union President-General, Charles Mgbaraho; the Secretary, Chastity Nwachukwu; and the Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Anene. Others murdered that night included Edeme Okoro, Isaac Ojenya, Ndubuisi Nwabusi, and Junior Ifeyirinwoke.
This level of corruption or ineptitude as the case may be, raises serious questions about the integrity of Nigeria’s correctional facilities.
How was an indicted murderer able to fund construction projects, travel freely, and father children while behind prison bars?
The answers point to a system riddled with corruption, negligence, and a blatant disregard for justice.
This is not just a story of one man’s criminal exploits but a damning indictment of a prison system that has failed in its most basic duty: to rehabilitate and restrain offenders.
Osita Ogbiri was eventually tracked down and neutralized in July, 2022.
As the nation grapples with the implications of the recent scandal where armed robbery suspects in Benin were reportedly traced to a Warri Prison where they are supposedly serving jail terms, one thing is clear: the Nigerian prison system needs urgent overhauling to prevent such brazen abuses and to protect the communities these facilities are meant to serve.
