Following outrages that trailed a pageant held at the Kirikiri maximum facility, Lagos, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) says prizes won did not give special privileges to Chidinma Ojukwu, the prime suspect in the murder of Super TV owner Usifo Ataga in 2021.

Spokesperson for the NCoS, Francis Enobore, noted that the pageant was one of a series of events at the ceremony to mark the International Women’s Day earlier this month.

“Aside creating a relaxed atmosphere for inmates, the prizes do not bestow any right or privilege on any of the contestants,” Mr Enobore said.

He was reacting to misgivings in some quarters about the participation of Ms Ojukwu, who emerged winner in the beauty pageant.

“The intent of the pageant was not to glamourise or make heroes out of criminality,” he stated.

He added, “moreover, the event was for internal consumption within the custodial environment and never meant to be given wide publicity.”

Mr Enobore stressed that the service believed that controlled social engagements did not interfere with trial of cases in court as activities within custodial centres had no bearing with evidence needed for cases to be tried.

“These events, beyond the venial of entertaining criminals and suspects, provide avenues for generating actionable intelligence to address some knotty issues under investigation.

“The intelligence community has severally benefitted from this service,’’ Mr Enobore stated.

He further addressed the issue of alleged squalor in male custodial centres and stated that females account for less than 1.5 percent of the total national population of about 70,000 inmates of custodial centres.

“Therefore, overcrowding and the attendant chaos are exclusively found in male custodial centres due to pressure on infrastructure,’’ he stated.

(NAN)