WARRI/Nigeria: An inmate of the Nigerian Correctional Facility, Okere in Warri, Delta State, has died while receiving treatment at the Central Hospital, Warri. The deceased, simply identified as David, passed away after reported complications linked to untreated HIV.
The Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, DCP Richard Egbede, confirmed the development on Sunday morning in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Warri.
Contrary to reports circulating on social media, Egbede clarified: “The inmate that died is HIV positive and has not been taking his drugs.”
Giving details of the medical history, the prison chief said: “We’ve been giving him drugs all the time, but he will just keep the drugs. He is not taking it. So, when the thing fully blown up about a month ago, we rushed him to Central Hospital, Warri. They took care of him. After two or three days on admission, he was discharged and we brought him back. We then advised him, please, be taking your drugs.”
Egbede added that before the inmate’s death, he developed a fever. “I stood in the prison till around 8 p.m. in the night when we gave him drip, and thank God for his cell members. They were so cooperative. They even donated money before we came out. They said, ‘Oga, if una nor get money, take.’ I said no, there’s money in our hand. They donated money for us to take him to the hospital.”
According to him, “Last week Sunday, upper week before this thing happened, it started around 2 a.m. in the night and there’s nothing we can do in the night. So, in the morning I had to ask them to call my medical people. They rushed him to Central Hospital. It was in Central Hospital and he started jacking already. The doctor put him on oxygen, make one test. Before the result will come outside, that’s how the cold hand of death picked him.”
Egbede dismissed contrary media claims, insisting: “I don’t know what the media is saying. To the best of my knowledge, if the boy is alive, he will tell you Oga took care of me.”
