Ojukwu, prime suspect in the alleged murder of the Chief
Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga in June 2021, is standing trial for
the offence at the Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos.
Pictures of the pageant have flooded social media since
Wednesday and sent tongues wagging on the propriety or otherwise of allowing
non-convicts such as Miss Ojukwu to participate in the event.
The beauty pageant held within the NCoS’ Kirikiri facility
on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
Ojukwu was said to have been crowned Miss Cell 2022.
But the NCoS Lagos State Command said the pageant was only
one of several other activities organised to mark International Women’s Day
(IWD).
IWD is celebrated annually on March 8, to commemorate the
social, political and economic achievements of women.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Rotimi Oladokun
told newsmen that the pageant and all the other events were open to all female
inmates whether convicted or awaiting trial.
 |
| Alleged killer, Chidinma Ojukwu crowned “Miss Cell” in Lagos prison |
Oladookun, a Superintendent, said: “I haven’t seen the pictures you are talking about. But in line with International Women’s Day, the female custodial facilities commemorated International Women’s Day with inmates, various inmates without distinction or discrimination against anybody – an inmate is an inmate.
“All the inmates in different cell blocks presented various
programmes. Some did theatre presentations, others drama, some poetry, some
beauty pageant, some drawings, paintings, comedy. So, various blocks won. It
was just like an inter-cell block event.
“There were lots of presentations. It was not an individual
thing. It was just the facility’s way of trying to reform the inmates, those
still in custody.
“So, that’s why they commemorated International Women’s Day,
that’s why it was done in the female facility, not the male’s.”
Referring to Ojukwu, the spokesman said: “The particular
inmate, I don’t know her name. There were various winners.
“The costumes were made by the inmates in the facility and
some of the winners got sponsorship to pay for their UME forms, NECO, WASSCE
and higher education.
“Some donated libraries to us, apart from some other
stationery, and welfare resources. It was not an individual event, so the
prizes were collective.”
He explained that Chidinma could have been a representative
of a block.
“There were representatives for each block, so maybe the
inmate you are referring to was one of such representatives, but it was not an
individual event, it was a collective one commemorating International Women’s
Day,” Oladokun added.