Inmates awaiting trials at the Minna old Correctional Custody are being conveyed to courts on Keke napep and commercial vehicles due to lack of Green maria to convey them to court. Investigations have revealed in.
The green maria,according to our findings conducted at Minna old Correctional Custody, revealed that the two functional vehicles have broken down for past two years without been repaired
The Chief Judge of Niger State,Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik had in March,2026, purchased four tyres for the broken down only functioning water tanker in the Minna old Medium Security Custodial facility.
Our reporter in Minna was told that the water tanker has been jack on top of stone for the past three years,due to lack of tires forcing the inmates to source water from some public boreholes in Minna until the Chief Judge bought the four tires that brought the tanker back to the road.
Also, the only functioning borehole in the Medium Custodial Centre has dried up the same time the water tanker tires lost its four tires.
It was gathered that the development has forced the Niger State of command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NcoS),to park the vehicle which now resulted in conveying the inmates on trial to courts with kekenap and any other means of transportation.
Our Correspondent reliably gathered that,the immediate past governor of Niger State, now Senator Abubakar Sani Bello bought two of the green maria to the both correctional Custodies some times in 2016.
Investigations further revealed that the already parked green maria,is the only functional vehicle that conveys awaiting trials inmates to over 35 courts within and outside Minna the state capital.
“ The already parked and the then only functional vehicle conveys inmates to and from courts in Gwada,Kuta,Paiko,Beji, Sakinpawa Kafinkoro and other courts in Minna and environs.
“ We are in a serious mess since the green maria parked up. We have to convey them to court with an alternative means of transporting the inmates to courts within Minna.
“ In fact,we have no option . They have to be in court and we have to find any alternative means of conveying them to court. At times we have to engage the service of tricycle operators to convey them to court” a source close to one of the facilities in Minna who craved anonymity told our Correspondent.
In alternative,it was further gathered that inmates are now being conveyed to courts with the only existing official ambulance that is to convey patients to hospital against the green maria.
The spokesman Niger State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCoS) Mallam Rabiu Shaibu Mohammed CSC,while confirming the development,appealed to well to individuals and corporate entities in the state,to extend their kind hearted gesture to the command with functional green maria to safeguard the movement of inmates to courts.
