ONE of the inmates of Imo Correctional Centre, Owerri, Pastor John-Valentine Ibekwe, on Tuesday, willingly returned to the centre.
Ibekwe, who hails from Awo-omama in Oru East Local Government Area of the state and the senior pastor of House of Solution and Deliverance Ministry Awo-Omama, was forced out of the prison in the early hours of Easter Monday when the yet-to-be identified hoodlums broke the prison.
It was gathered that in course of his being forced out, he (Ibekwe) had a dislocation on his right leg.
He said, “As at 1:20am, we began to hear non-stop gunshots. We were afraid because we never knew what was taking place. The firing continued until the jail was forced open and we were asked to all leave the premises.”
He said when he got home that early morning, he immediately called his lawyer, who he said, advised him to go back to the correctional centre, adding that his case was not a severe or criminal matter.
He said, “What landed me in prison was a help I rendered to somebody. I did not commit any criminal offence. The lawyer, Mr. Alex Williams, told me to go back to the prison and that it would be better than absconding since he had been handling the matter. I respected him by voluntarily coming back.”
Meanwhile, over 10 inmates of the prison had on Tuesday, returned back to the prison on their own.
In his speech, the Chairman of South-East Lawyers Forum, Mr. Alex William advised others inmates forced out of the correctional centre to come back on their own in order for justice to take its course.
Copyright PUNCH.
