Maroua: Boko Haram members over populate prisons

More than 800 prisoners, suspected terrorists, have added to the growing population of Maroua prison which is already saturated.

“More than 800 special prisoners, members of Boko Haram are present in the Maroua Central Prison,” noted Joseph Belporo, public prosecutor at the Appeal Court of the Far North, in the Emergence newspaper on Monday, December 28, 2015.

These suspected terrorists have been added to the plethora of present prisoners in the Central Prison in Maroua, which has a capacity of only 350 people. Today, there are 1513 prisoners while other credible sources speak of 1500, the newspaper said.

It is a situation which is not the most pleasant to the prosecutor. Especially when the military court which has exclusive jurisdiction to try terrorists had no room and hearings depended on the availability of rooms in the courthouse.

In awaiting trial, the Boko Haram prisoners must adapt to the overpopulation problem facing the central prison in Maroua. The slowness of the judicial system and the multiple abuses of Boko Haram are the main factors leading to this overcrowding, said the newspaper.

In view of the above, “we must find an urgent solution to the overpopulation problem” said the Attorney General. And as a solution, the lawyer "proposed the transfer of some detainees to other prisons in the country and speedy trial of Boko Haram suspects," said the newspaper.

This in order to avoid irreversible situations as the increasing number of deaths in the prison. “This prison has become a living hell … a situation which resulted in the increase of mortality, about 40 deaths per year,” lamented the head of the infirmary of the prison.