Kogiflame
A graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Federal University of Science and Technology, Minna , Mark Audu has said that smoking weeds relieve him of emotional pains as he pleaded for leniency.
The graduate who is presently in jail at Fedral Correctional Center, Okene made this known when the Kogi state Acting Chief judge , Justice Joshia Majebi visited the inmate.
The inmate who hail from Ajaokutalocal government area of Kogi state stated that he is always at peace with himself when smoking Indian hemp.
“I was always missing my father, so when I smoke weeds it makes me to sleep fully”, he said while responding to a question on why he is smoking weeds by chief judge of kogi.
Audu who was admitted into the prison on 19th September 2022 was charged with intimidation, mischief and theft at Obagede magistrate court, at Ihima local government, pleaded for leniency, while promising not to smoke weeds again , if he is left off the hook this time around .
Shedding more light on the inmate’s predicament, an officer at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Okene said the young man is a brilliant person but got addicted to weeds smoking.
He added that the inmate on awaiting trial was brought into the Correction Centre by his mother over the report of his nuisance behaviour, occasioned by weed overdose in his abode, including threating to kill people in his environment.
“This is not the first time his mother would bundle him into the vehicle and bring him here. If he is not smoking, he behave reasonably and cleverly well; but the moment he leaves here,and he will go back into it”, said the operative of the Medium Correction Centre, Okene who claimed to know his mother while briefing Justice Majebi.
Justice Majebi ordered the court to accord him accelerated hearing of his case, even as he also urged operatives of the Correction Centre to liaise with his mother for a better solution to ease him out of the hemp addicting.
Also, the state Acting Chief jjudge instructed the police prosecuting officer to medically examine the state of mental health of an inmate, one Mustapha Shaibu who allegedly killed his mother and his brother.
Shaibu , tagged as “vulnerable inmate , with mentally unstable” was admitted to the Correction Centre 29th March 2021 was charged with culpable homicide at Obagede magistrate court remains mum and morose when he was paraded before the chief judge.
After due consideration, justice Majebi ordered the prosecuting police officer to run medical test on the inmate in order to determine his state of his mental health for final decision on his case before the court.
Meanwhile, Justice Majebi released one Yusuf Usman who was charged with theft and intimidation on bail, with Case transferred to Chief Magistrate Court, Okene, while
the case of a sixteen years old Yahaya Salawu in the same offense
was transferred to family court for further hearing .
Justice Majebi in his remarks said the essence of the prison visit is to ascertain and review cases of unlawful detention and over delayed ones at the centre, whose period in awaiting trial has overshot the punishment meant for alleged offense committed.
Federal Correctional Centre Okene has 160 capacity, but presently having 71 inmates: 48 males and one female convicts respectively, iwith 20 males and two females on awaiting trial .
Earlier, the Kogi State Controller of the Correctional Center, , D. O. Igbago commended Justice Majebi, pleading for his assistance in addressing the teething challenges hampering their operations, in the areas of logistics and operational vehicles.
