by Rachel Ogbu

House of Rep member, Farouk Lawan, and the Secretary of the Ad Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime, Boniface Emenalo are given special treatment in prison, new reports claim.

According to the reports, the pair who are detained at Kuje Prison, Abuja, on a court order are enjoying special treatment that includes food cooked outside the prison wall while sleeping in a ‘choice cell’ different from other inmates.

Lawan and Emenalo were remanded in prison custody on Friday, February 1 following their arraignment by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for allegedly receiving $620,000 as bribe from an oil mogul, Femi Otedola, when Farouk served as the chairman of the committee.

Apparently, Lawan remained reserved and withdrawn when he was booked into the prison by officials and didn’t eat.

Reports gathered that his relations were making plans to reach an understanding with the management of the prison to allow them bring in a new mattress for the lawmaker who is to reappear in court February 8 when the court is to determine whether to grant or refuse their bail application.

The Punch reports:

Findings indicated that when Lawan and Boniface Emenalo got to the prison facility, the atmosphere changed as the inmates on hearing about the calibre of the new detainees, were happy that their living condition would change during the stay of the lawmakers.

A prison source who pleaded anonymity said, “Lawan and Emenalo were kept in the same cell, but they have said they will not eat the general food cooked in the facility. They have made arrangements to have their food brought to them from home by their family members.

“The prison authorities are not according them any special privilege, but being a lawmaker, Lawan cannot be treated like a common criminal because of his status, and besides, they have not been convicted yet.”

The prison officials were said to have been briefed by their superior officers on how to comport themselves throughout the lawmaker’s stay to avoid leaving the VIPs with a poor impression of the prison Service and its officials.

The Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Prison Service, Kayode Odeyemi, could not be reached for comments as he was said to have travelled out of the country.