The Senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has narrated his experience during his five-day stay in Kuje prison (correctional facility), Abuja.
PlatinumPost reports that the outspoken Ndume was sent to jail by Justice Okon Abang over his inability to produce the former Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team (PPRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, who he stood for as surety.
In an interview, Ndume said he met other top politicians serving various jail terms in the prison, saying former Taraba State’s govenor, Jolly Nyame, was the chairman of Very Important Prisoners in the Kuje facility.
READ ALSO :Ndume terminates surety bond with Maina
He said : “We had groups. There were the Very Important Prisoners (VIPs) and the Chairman was Jolly Nyame, a former Governor of Taraba State; Olisa Metuh; one Yusuf from Gombe and AVM Emmanuel.
“We had our joints. Daily between 06:00am and 06:00 pm we interacted. They are allowed to exercise, though I didn’t join them. Olisa Metuh was very lively and active and was our coordinator.”
Speaking further on his experience he said: “When I was going to the prison I had my mind prepared. Besides, I was not a stranger to prison. I was in Kuje in 2015 for 10 days.
“As a politician, you can’t graduate as a true politician, especially in developing countries, if you do not go to prison. So I was not bothered. But I must tell you that I had a good experience. It gave me a lot of time to reflect, it gave me a lot of time to concentrate on two things: prayers; to ask for forgiveness from Allah and read books. I rested so well because I had nothing to worry about. I had no phone, TV and was confined to my room.
“I went to the prison on Monday and I was fasting, so after I broke my fast, I prayed Maghrib and Isha with other prayers and slept a bit to wake up later in the night, but for some reasons, I slept off and woke up in the morning.
“I rested and my blood pressure went down from the 150/90 when I went to Kuje to 135/80 when I was freed. I have been using drugs all this while. So I joked that maybe staying in the prison was the solution.
“I interacted with the prisoners from all sectors. We were over 700 and what worried me most was that over 600 were awaiting trial. There are people that have spent eight years waiting for the continuation of their trials.”
(DAILY TRUST)
