TheNewsGuru

Tag: Prisoners

  • Israel releases first 90 Palestinian prisoners in ceasefire deal

    Israel releases first 90 Palestinian prisoners in ceasefire deal

    The first 90 Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel under the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal were freed hours after an agreement took effect on Sunday.

    This is to halt the fighting that has devastated the coastal territory; local media cited Israeli authorities as confirming.

    Local media outlets, including the Times of Israel, cited the prison authority as confirming the release, saying that most of the freed prisoners were women and minors.

    The majority of the detainees came from the West Bank, while others were from East Jerusalem, according to the reports.

    Palestinian media has showed the footage and pictures of what they said were released prisoners arriving in Ramallah.

    On Sunday, the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas released the first three Israeli hostages as part of the ceasefire agreement.

    They were transferred by the Palestinian militant group Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Sunday afternoon.

    Among those transferred were three women, named by the Israeli military as Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher.

    They were then transferred to Israeli forces and transported to a hospital in Tel Aviv, where they were greeted by family.

    A Hamas spokesman had confirmed that four more Israeli hostages would be released next Saturday.

    This will be part of the deal to exchange 33 hostages for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails over the course of six weeks.

    Following months of stalemate in the 15-month Gaza war, a three-stage ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was brokered on Wednesday, capping months-long efforts by the U.S.

    Others are; Egypt and Qatar to mediate between the warring parties.

    The first stage of the ceasefire agreement also foresaw the Israeli military withdrawing from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

  • Over 120 killed in failed DR Congo jailbreak

    Over 120 killed in failed DR Congo jailbreak

    At least 129 people have been killed during an attempted prison escape in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

    Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani said 24 prisoners had died of bullet wounds after warning shots were fired in the early hours of Monday morning.

    Most of the others died from suffocation as a result of a crush during the breakout at Makala Prison.

    Despite reports of mass casualties emerging on Monday, the government had initially said that only two people had died.

    On Monday, people living near the prison spoke about hearing gunshots but attempts by journalists to reach the site were thwarted by police officers who had blocked access to the area.

    “There were gunshots from 01:00 or 02:00 in the morning, and until around 05:00,” Daddi Soso, who lives close to the prison, told the AFP news agency.

    “There were deaths and there are people who fled,” he said, adding that the security forces were taking bodies away.

    Graphic videos being shared from inside the prison on Monday, but not verified by the BBC, showed lifeless bodies on the floor as well as people shouting for help amid a crush.

    Mr Shabani posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, around 24 hours after the attempted breakout, acknowledging the extent of the incident and the death toll.

    He added that almost 60 others were severely injured and had been taken to hospital.

    “This is also an opportunity to commend all the security services, the national police, and the army, who responded quickly and were able to contain the situation, preventing the escape,” he said.

    “It should be noted that there were indeed damages, including loss of life, injuries and especially material damage at the central prison.

    “Unfortunately, the administration and registry offices caught fire. These are urgent situations that we are currently addressing,” he said.

    Rights groups have called for an international investigation into what happened.

    Makala Prison, dating from the 1950s, has a capacity of 1,500 prisoners, but more than 14,000 inmates were being held there, AFP reports. (BBC)

     

  • Taliban confirms release of U.S. citizen in prisoner swap

    Taliban confirms release of U.S. citizen in prisoner swap

    Afghan authorities on Monday confirmed the swap of a prisoner, U.S civil engineer, in exchange for an Afghan drug lord who was sentenced to a life term in prison by a U.S. court.

    The U.S. national, Mark Frerichs, disappeared in Afghanistan in 2020.

    Speaking at a press conference, Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, said the swap of famous drug dealer, Haji Bashir Noorzai, for Frerichs took place with a U.S. delegation in Kabul’s International Airport.

    The U.S. authorities have not commented on the prisoner swap yet.

    It was suspected for a long time that Frerichs had been abducted by the Haqqanis, a notorious network within the Taliban, who demanded the release of Noorzai.

    Noorzai was a financial supporter of the Taliban during their first period in power in the 1990s but was hired as an undercover agent on behalf of the U.S. government in the early 2000s.

    He was arrested in 2005 in the U.S. for heroin smuggling and sentenced to life in prison.

    After his release, Noorzai was welcomed at Kabul airport by the Taliban’s notorious GDI intelligence forces with flowers. Later he spoke at a televised event at a grand hotel in the city.

    Noorzai said he was in prison for more than 17 years and his release would have been impossible without the Taliban’s efforts.

    He also hoped that his release would bring the relations between the Taliban in Kabul and Washington closer.

    The Taliban has a history of hostage-taking in return for ransom or other political aims.

    In June, five British nationals being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan were released from detention.

    Simultaneously, London announced it did not support anyone seeking to achieve political change through violence in Afghanistan.

  • 3,906 escaped prisoners still on the run – Aregbesola

    3,906 escaped prisoners still on the run – Aregbesola

    A total of 3,906 prisoners, who fled some of the nation’s custodial centres, during various incidences of prison breaks, are still at large, the Federal Government said on Thursday.

    The Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this during the weekly ministerial briefing, hosted by the Presidential Media Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    According to Aregbesola, of the 4,369 inmates that escaped from the centres from 2020 till date, 984 of the number had been recaptured.

    He however noted that the biometrics of all custodial inmates in the country had been taken, which he said would enable the escapees to be tracked and rearrested.

    “How long can they continue to run from the state? The state is a patient bird. You can run, but you can never hide. We have their biometrics. Whenever and wherever they appear to transact any business, their cover will be blown.

    “I will like to inform Nigerians that we have captured the biometric information of all inmates in the facilities of NCoS working in partnership with the Nigerian Identity Management Commission, NIMC.

    “Therefore, we have the capacity and are tracking all escapees from our facilities. In addition, we are working with and have shared the details of escapees with INTERPOL, to check the risks of cross border movements,” he said.

    Aregbesola also said that 465 inmates are running various Degrees around the country, adding that 85 of this are running postgraduate programmes including four who are doing Ph.D programmes.

    He said 560 inmates have been enrolled for WAEC/NECO examinations while 2,300 are enrolled for Adult Literacy classes in several custodial centres.

    Aregbesola said 2,742,207 passports have been issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in the last two years.

    The Minister revealed that the ministry was aware of the challenges faced by Nigerians in securing their passports but noted that effort is being put in place to make it a thing of the past.

  • Officers feared killed, prisoners trapped as gunmen attack, set police station ablaze in Anambra

    Officers feared killed, prisoners trapped as gunmen attack, set police station ablaze in Anambra

    There was pandemonium in Ajalli, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State on Thursday after armed men attacked a police station, with some officers feared killed.

    The building was also set ablaze and some persons who are most likely suspects in police custody are feared trapped in the building.

    The police are, however, yet to confirm the number of casualties.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the incident happened hours days after the murder of Dr. Chike Akunyili, the husband of the late former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dora Akunyili, and others in the state.

    Dr. Chike Akunyili was killed by the gunmen on Tuesday alongside his driver and a police escort around the Nkpor junction in Idemili North, Anambra State.

    He was said to have been returning from an event where he received a posthumous award of excellence for his late wife when he ran into the hoodlums at Nkpor and was murdered in cold blood.

    Meanwhile, Governor Willie Obiano has placed a ₦20 million bounty on the perpetrators of the gruesome killing.

    The Governor said that the sum will be awarded to anyone who is able to provide useful information to track the killers.

    He said this in a special broadcast after an emergency State Security Council meeting at the Governor’s lodge in Amawbia on Wednesday, while condoling with the Akunyili family, as well as families of others who were killed in the attack.

    Governor Obiano condemned the attack, calling on residents to join forces with security agencies to confront the common enemy and protect the state.

    Speaking further, he lamented that between Sunday, September 26 to date, over 10 persons have been killed in various areas of the state.

     

  • Akeredolu pardons 12 prisoners

    Akeredolu pardons 12 prisoners

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has approved the pardon of 12 prisoners.

    The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Yemi Olowolabi, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure on Monday.

    Olowolabi said the gesture was in exercise of the power conferred on the Governor by Paragraph (d) of sub section (1) of Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

    According to him, the pardon was approved by the governor following the recommendation by the Ondo State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.

    “In his letter, dated 27th December, 2017, and addressed to the Comptroller of Prisons, Governor Akeredolu advised that the affected prisoners be released.

    “All the prisoners have served portions of their various sentences.

    “The governor advised the affected prisoners to make use of the opportunity of their release to turn a new leaf and engage in legal and positive activities that will contribute to the development of the country,” the commissioner added.

  • Four officers injured as gunmen raze Imo Police station, free prisoners

    Four officers injured as gunmen raze Imo Police station, free prisoners

    Gunmen have razed the Isiala Mbano Police Divisional Headquarters located at Umuelemai in Imo State.

    The gunmen, who invaded the divisional headquarters armoury on Saturday night, freed suspects in the detention facility and carted away arms.

    It was gathered that the gunmen on arrival condoned off the divisional headquarters located at Umueze Road and opened fire.

    According to Punch, the gunmen sacked police officers on duty, freed suspects, invaded the facility’s arms storage department before setting it ablaze.

    Four policemen allegedly sustained gunshot injuries from the invaders.

    It was also stated that the culprits did not flee immediately but stayed by and supervised the burning of the police facility.

    The source said, “The gunmen came, condoned off the divisional headquarters and immediately opened fire on the policemen on duty. This was after they had freed all the suspects and collected all the arms. Afterwards, they set it ablaze using petrol to ignite the fire. This is very unfortunate.”

    The Interim Management Committee chairman of Isiala Mbano LGA, Chika Okoroike, confirmed the attack. He said that he was facilitating the rescue mission.

    He blamed the removal of soldiers from Anara town 24 hours before the attack.

    Okoroike said that he made fervent moves to make sure that the military men posted out of Anara town on Friday without any reason returned, but all to no avail.

    The police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, also confirmed the attack on the division.

    This makes it the fourth police divisional headquarters that had been attacked since February after Obowo, Aboh Mbaise and Ihitte/Uboma divisions were attacked, respectively.

  • Rivers court orders release of 150 prisoners

    Rivers court orders release of 150 prisoners

    A Rivers State High Court has ordered the unconditional release of 150 inmates from the Maximum Port Harcourt Correctional Centre after spending nine years in jail without trial.

    Justice G. O. Ollor delivered the judgment after a lawyer, Nasiru Ibiloye; and his organisation known as, ‘Access To Freedom International’, instituted a fundamental human rights case against the Commissioner of Police, Attorney General, Comptroller of Prisons Rivers State Command and the Chief Registrar of Rivers State Judiciary.
    Justice Ollor in his judgment also ordered the four defendants in the case to pay N100, 000 to each of the inmates for their continued detention and breach of their fundamental human rights.

    The court held that the lawyer and his organisation which instituted the case for the inmates are legally bound to do so.

    Ibiloye said his organization had gone to the facility to ensure that the inmates were treated fairly when it was discovered that the facility was overstretched and some inmates have overstayed without having their day in court.
    He said, “As an NGO, we went to the prison yard to check the amenities and ensure that inmates are treated fairly. We are building a library for them. In the course of doing these things, we discovered that the prison was overstretched.
    “Some people have spent 10 years, some 15 years. We asked for their list. We first applied for their charge sheet. We could not get the charge sheet until the court made an order against the Chief Registrar.
    “At the end of the day, judgement was delivered and the court ruled that all the inmates be released unconditionally.”

  • BREAKING: Prisoners freed after jailbreak in Edo as thugs hijack #EndSars protest [+Video]

    BREAKING: Prisoners freed after jailbreak in Edo as thugs hijack #EndSars protest [+Video]

    By Emma Ovuakporie

    #EndSARS protest was on Monday hijacked by rampaging thugs who attacked and freed inmates from Benin Custodian Facility in Edo State.

    A reliable source privy to this development told TheNewsGuru (TNG) that the hoodlums had stormed the custodian facility at about 9am chanting war songs and attacking prison officials.

    “At a stage, the prison officials started firing the protesters but they were over powered by the angry youths.

    “As I speak to you now virtually all the government vehicles parked within the facility have been destroyed.

    ” I doubt whether there’s any prisoner still left in the facility here in Benin.

    Watch video:

  • Gunmen attack vehicles conveying prisoners at court premises, free six

    Gunmen attack vehicles conveying prisoners at court premises, free six

    Gunmen believed to be herdsmen have attacked a convoy of correctional officials near Plateau High Court, Barkin Ladi, freeing six criminal suspects.

    According to reports on Wednesday, the convoy was said to be conveying 14 suspects charged with crimes ranging from murder to kidnapping and rape.

    An eyewitness said as the convoy arrived the court premises, the gunmen, who had laid ambush by the entrance, opened fire and freed the suspects unchallenged.

    The Plateau State Commandant of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr. S.A. Musa, told Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka the Court did not notify him of a change in hearing date.

    However, Police have arrested four suspects and recovered two motorcycles believed to belong to the gunmen.

    Details later…