The Comptroller of the Kirikiri Female Prisons, Lagos, Mrs. Lizzie Ekpendu, has been redeployed following the uproar generated over the beauty pageant conducted in the facility where murder suspect, Chidinma Ojukwu, emerged as Miss Cell 2022.
This was confirmed earlier today by a source within the facility who pleaded anonymity because he was not officially permitted to speak on the issue.
TheFact Nigeria recalls that Chidinma Ojukwu, a 21-year-old student of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, was arrested by the police on June 23 for killing the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Super TV, Mr. Michael Usifo Ataga at a short-let apartment in Lekki. On the last adjourned date on February 21, Ojukwu’s trial was stalled due to the absence of the prosecution witness.
On March 10, Miss Ojukwu won a beauty pageant at the Kirikiri female prison, as they marked the International Women’s Day, with this year’s theme: “BreakingTheBias”.
However, the contest generated mixed reactions across the country with some people arguing that the pageant was inappropriate for a suspect facing a murder trial while others argued that the prison authority reserved the right to conduct the pageant of all inmates.
Although the prison authorities defended the action, it was gathered that the comptroller of the female facility, Mrs Ekpendu, was redeployed last week as a result of the matter.
“I can confirm to you that Mrs Ekpendu, the Comptroller of Kirikiri Female Prison has been redeployed to the Lagos Command Headquarters, Ikoyi. She has been replaced by another senior female officer,” the source said.
