Prisons authorities ‘sanction’ officials involved in Ngilari’s release

The Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) has sanctioned the officials responsible for the health report that facilitated the release of Bala Ngilari, an ex-governor of Adamawa state.

On March 6, Ngilari was sentenced to five years in prison for violating the public procurement act in the award of contract for the procurement of 25 vehicles.

On Monday, Ngilari who was convicted for corruption and jailed in Yola was granted bail on health ground.

Following this development, Peter Tenkwa, the controller of the Adamawa state command of the NPS, said the officials would be queried.

According to Vanguard, Abubakar Abaka, an officer, and John Bukar, a nurse, attached to the Yola prison have been replaced on the orders of Ahmed Ja’afaru, comptroller-general of prisons.

The officials, the report says, would be transferred to Abuja for disciplinary actions.

“It is obvious that by training and competence, neither the nurse (John Bukar) nor DCP Abubakar Abaka is qualified to originate such report/recommendations,” a statement by the prison authorities read.

Also, Francis Enobore, spokesman of NPS, was quoted as saying, “This is to bring to the attention of all Nigerians that the Comptroller General of the NPS, Mr. Ja’afaru Ahmed, neither authorised the issuance of the said letter to the judge to release the convicted former governor nor was he briefed on the matter.

“Accordingly, the C-G has ordered the querying and suspension of all the officials involved in the embarrassing action so as to take necessary disciplinary actions against them.”