The deseased Okeke was a defendant in a matter before the judge but the prison officers failed to produce the defendant on the said adjourned date as Mr. Okeke died in prison from diabetes.
The magistrate blamed the prison officers for their failure to produce the defendant in the court after his first appearance on April 3, 2014. 29-year-old Okeke was remanded in prison while the case was adjourned till April 10.
According to reports, the case was adjourned by the court six times due to the inability of the prison officers to bring the accused to court as his health was failing thereby prompting his admission in the prison clinic.
He was, however, not brought to the court until he died of diabetes in November 11 at the prison’s clinic.”
According to Punch, the Nigerian Prisons officials said that on the two occasions they didnt bring the accused to court, it was due to “oversight” and “a breakdown of one of the prison’s vehicles.”
It was further gathered that the deceased, who was arraigned on one count of attempted stealing, was not brought before the court on five different adjourned dates even though the magistrate issued a production warrant mandating the NPS to present the accused person.
The Late Mr. Okeke was said to have been arrested for attempting to withdraw a sum of N25,000 from the bank account of his brother, Boniface, without the latter’s consent.
