SaharaReporters obtained Ologbo’s account where he recalled his experience in detention, saying the “conditions in which inmates are kept are deplorable”, while emphasising the need for urgent reforms.
A returnee from the United States of America, Dr Joseph Ologbo, has narrated the sad conditions of Nigerian correctional facilities where he was taken to after the Nigerian police arraigned him for alleged cultism in Delta State.
SaharaReporters obtained Ologbo’s account where he recalled his experience in detention, saying the “conditions in which inmates are kept are deplorable”, while emphasising the need for urgent reforms.
SaharaReporters had in March 2023 reported that Ologbo narrated how policemen from the Delta State Police Command brutalised him in his house in the presence of his family following allegations that he was sponsoring cultism.
Ologbo, who returned from the US in January 2023 to his family in Delta State, had narrated in an account obtained by SaharaReporters that the policemen hit him with guns and tried to force him to admit to the crime.
Meanwhile, Justice Rita Ngozi Ossai of the High Court of Delta State in Sapele delivered a final judgment in Charge No. S/19C/2023 between State vs Joseph Ologbo, dismissing the case.
Following the announcement of the judgment, Chief Joseph Ologbo expressed his gratitude to the court for the swift delivery of justice and his lawyer, John Smart Esq, who worked to secure his release.
During his ordeal, Ologbo experienced “firsthand the sad state of inmates in Nigeria's correctional facilities.”
He highlighted that his personal experience had “exposed the deplorable conditions in which inmates are kept, emphasizing the need for urgent reforms.”
Ologbo stated his intention to use his foundation “as a platform to advocate for change and bring dignity to individuals within the correctional system.”
With his newfound understanding of the dire situation faced by inmates, Chief Ologbo pledged to work towards improving the conditions within correctional facilities.
He acknowledged the responsibility of the government in allocating appropriate funds to address the fundamental issues plaguing these centers. He called upon the Nigerian government to prioritise reforms and allocate sufficient resources to provide inmates with the basic necessities and a respectful environment.
The final judgment delivered by Justice Rita Ngozi Ossai of the High Court of Delta State in Sapele laid to rest the allegations against Ologbo, who had been arrested and falsely accused of illegal possession of firearms and involvement in a cult group.