RismadarVoice Reporters
September 3, 2026
At least 46 awaiting-trial inmates at the Medium Security Correctional Centre in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, have been unable to attend court hearings because the facility has no operational vehicles to transport them, an official has said.
The Officer in Charge of the centre, Samuel Bassey, a Chief Superintendent of Corrections, disclosed this recently when members of the Eket Federal Constituency Media Professionals forum visited the facility.
Mr Bassey said some of the inmates were transferred from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area in 2023 but had yet to appear in court because there were no vehicles available to convey them.
“Sometimes we have to go to the local park to hire minibuses that will convey inmates to the court. The decision is very risky as you must ensure that the person you engage is trustworthy,” he said.
The official said the centre’s jurisdiction covers nine local government areas and 18 courts, making the absence of functional vehicles a major challenge to the administration of justice.
“About 46 inmates are there unable to appear in court. It is difficult to take the inmates to court without having operational vehicles. None of our vehicles is functional. Even the one at the workshop cannot be fixed. We really need support to discharge our duties effectively,” he said.
According to him, the centre had written several letters to relevant authorities requesting operational vehicles but had yet to receive a response.
He appealed to governments at all levels, corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations and philanthropists to intervene, describing the situation as “very worrisome” for both inmates and staff.
Mr Bassey said the last vehicle donated to the centre was during the administration of former Governor Godswill Akpabio, who is now the President of the Senate.
He also raised concerns about the condition of infrastructure at the facility, saying heavy rainfall had damaged several roofs and exposed inmates to harsh weather conditions.
“Concerning the state of infrastructure, you can see that the heavy rains in the southern part of the country have caused several roofs in the facility to wear out and exposed inmates to harsh weather conditions. There is nothing we can do on our own to remedy the situation,” he said.
On welfare, Mr Bassey said inmates were adequately fed by the Federal Government and received medical care from trained professionals at the facility’s clinic.
He commended the media professionals for the visit and expressed readiness for stronger collaboration on the reformation and reintegration of inmates.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Eket Federal Constituency Media Professionals, Enobong Nsimah, proposed collaboration with the correctional centre to provide legal services to inmates without legal representation.
Mr Nsimah also suggested a partnership to train inmates in various skills to support their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
Members of the forum later inspected the dilapidated residential quarters of correctional officers and appealed to the authorities to provide better accommodation and a conducive working environment for the personnel.
