By Nkechi Ojukwu
The St. Lazarus Catholic Chaplaincy has alleged that the Nigerian Correctional Service Owerri(Prisons), Imo State, has unlawfully encroached its land.
The church also accused the facility management of harassment as well as negligence of judicial authority.
Rev. Father Jude Onyeakazi, the Chapline of the Church revealed that the property was legally allocated to the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, on July 14, 1999 by the Nigerian Prisons Services, which was established for the purpose of charity to assist the prison- inmates spiritually , psychologically, materially and improve some infrastructure by the Chaplaincy.
Unfortunately, the Comptroller of the Correctional Service, Mr. Kinsley Njoku, because he is not a Catholic, started being discriminatory, showing religious bias and was not willing to accommodate and assist in any manner towards the infrastructural development of the Church.
This he said included the yearly prison visit program that was to hold on December 2022, by Nigerian President of Bishops Conference led by Rev. Ignatius Ugorji.
Notwithstanding, all the unfriendly attitude from the Comptroller, we happily went on to perform our work, continuously,
As if that was not enough, the started the prisons’ perimeter fencing that is on going, which the Chaplaincy is not even against, but the issue remains that there was no stakeholder’s Meeting,no contact with the Chaplaincy as to carry us along with regards to the fencing.
The Comptroller of the Correctional Service went ahead to encroached on the Church premises.
“The Chaplaincy came as a fruit of the Law, officially gazetted by Federal Correctional Center itself from Abuja. We have documents, as evidence, the Church and the Prison have been cooperating, cordially, surprisingly the present Comptroller does not want to toe the footsteps of his predecessors who were very abstract of the rich contributions of the Church to the Prisons especially as it relates to the rehabilitation of Prison inmates. He is religiously biased and such a person should not be trusted with public position as that of Prisons”.
” We say no to encroachment, we provided evidence, including an official letter signed by the former Controller V.O. Ogbebor confirming the legitimacy of the Land allocation. Since 1999, the Chaplaincy has developed and occupied the site, fulfilling it’s mission to serve inmates through spiritual guidance and humanitarian outreach, on this note the Chaplaincy went to Court and obtained a Court injunction from the Imo State High Court in July, 2024, ( Suit Number HOW/ 1216/2024) .
It was meant to suspend the fencing work, the Prisons authority under the Controller, Kinsley Njoku, reportedly continue with the construction, neglecting the Court order, Father Onyeakazi summited.
In his word, ” the land was legally allocated to the Church. The actions of the Prison Controller, Njoku is illegal and unacceptable” . He added that the Chaplaincy is committed to being law abiding until justice is obtained.
He further accused the Imo state Prisons Command of creating a fearful and hostile environment. Armed Officers, allegedly displaying refills near the disputed land and by so doing creating uneasy calm among worshipers,which has led to the Church loosing it’s members.
Rev. Father Onyeakazi,finally called on the governor ,Sen.Hope Uzodinma to come to their aid.
