APC denies plan to relocate terrorist prisoners to Anambra

The South-East geopolitical zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied reports that the Federal Government is planning to transfer suspected Boko Haram members to the Ekwulobia Prison in Anambra State.

Protests broke out in the state on Sunday, June 28, 2015, after rumours of the alleged plan spread.

The clarification was made by the spokesperson for the South-East APC, Osita Okechukwu via a statement.

It reads:

“We wish to state categorically that the rumour making the rounds that Boko Haram detainees will be transferred to Anambra State or any other state for that matter is blatant falsehood.”

“We have made contacts with the Presidency, Nigeria Prison Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs and they have assured us that there is no iota of truth in the mischievous rumour.”

“In the clarification, Nigeria Prison Service stated unequivocally that, ‘most of the terror suspects are awaiting trial and so there is no way they can be moved to another state, because they must be tried in the state where they committed the crime.”

“They went further to state that their primary and traditional duty is to move detainees from prison to trial courts adding that moving high profile suspects from a distance more than 1000 kilometres from Maiduguri to Onitsha will be near to very difficult.”

Commercial activities in Onitsha and other areas of the state were grounded on Sunday after angry youths took to the streets to condemn the proposed relocation plans.