Intense heat provoked riot in Garoua Central Prison

Calm has returned to the Garoua Central Prison after a few days of general disobedience by inmates due to what they claim is the intense heat experience at the prison at this time of the year.

Temperatures at this time of the year reaches 40o Celsius and above in Garoua and its surrounding areas in the months of March and April. It took the intervention of the police ordered by North Governor to restore order in the compound.

According to reports the inmates had complained to the prison authorities a week ago about too much heat experience in the cells. The authorities bought and inserted fans in the cells but this failed to improve the situation.

Some prisoners then proceeded to pull down the cell doors causing all the prisoners to move into the court yard staying there both day and night. In this confused state a fight broke out in which one prisoner was beaten and his leg broken. In an apparent act of retaliation, a group of prisoners beat to death the suspect of the fight.

This prompted the governor to order the police to bring back order and discipline in the prison. The police succeeded to search the entire prison where they found items like knives, axes, cutlasses and phones.

In the course of doing this, some police officers and prisoners sustained injuries. The police also succeeded to transfer the ring leaders of the riot to police cells, paving the way for repair works to continue.

Wantoh Francis, administrator of the Prison said some of the prisoners during the one week standoff with warders complained of being held in prison even after their cases have been judged and some of them acquitted. The Garoua Central Prison has a total of 1758 inmates.