Some of you have heard about Blessing Effiong or those who have never heard about her, let me tell you her story.
Blessing
is a 19 year old girl (she will turn 20 in August) who has been
incarcerated at the female ward of the Kirikiri Prisons since November
2008. She has been locked up since she was 16.
I've
been to Kirikiri prisons. I've seen Blessing. I've hugged her. I've
cried with her...and I promised her I will do everything in my power to
get her out. I hope to keep that promise..I already have a team I'm
working with to make this happen...but we need more people to get
involved in her case. (There are some things I can't put out here but we
need all the help we can get)
Continue to read what landed Blessing in Prison.
According
to Blessing (this is exactly what she told me) on the morning of the
14th of July 2008, she bought a phone from a guy around her area in
Ebutte Metta for N800. It was a Starcomms phone worth about N10k which
she wanted to use to start phone business. The same evening she bought
the phone, she got a call on the phone from some guy who said the phone
belonged to him, that he was robbed and dispossessed of it a few days
back. Blessing offered to return the phone back to the guy on the
condition that she will get her N800 back. The man promised her the
money back and she gave him her address. The man showed up a few hours
later with police. Blessing
was first taken to Ilupeju Police station where she was kept for a few
days. Then on the 18th of August she was transferred to State CID Panti
where she was kept for a while. She was then charged to magistrate court
Ikeja, from where the magistrate remanded her in Kirikiri prisons to
await advice from the Director of Public Persecution. The advise didn't
come until 2012. And his advice was for her to be charged under section
427 of the criminal code. (Crime about receiving stolen property)Then
her story became public after a Punch reporter accompanied the
Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Ade Ipaye, and representatives of
the Office of the Public Defender on a visit to the prisons to
evaluate the number of awaiting trial persons there. 3+ years awaiting
trial. Sad, huh?
Well, some of us got involved and she's finally
been charged to court for receiving of stolen property before a High
Court of Lagos State sitting at Igbosere. Her case came up today 23rd May 2012, but the prison authorities did not bring Blessing to court, so the Judge adjourned to the 14th of June, 2012.
I will be in court that day, anyone else if free to come. It's the Igbosere high court on Lagos Island.
For
those who are curious about her family, Blessing is an orphan. Her
father died when she was very young and her mother died just last year.
She told me her incarceration led to her mum's death. She was her
only daughter. Blessing has two brothers but they are in the East and
as helpless as she is.
When she's finally released, Blessing will be needing a lot of help. Will keep y'all updated.
Thanks for reading.
excerpt from Linda ikeji blog....
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