Chidinma Ojukwu, the 21 year-old standing trial for the alleged murder of Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Ataga, has been crowned Kirikiri Prison’s ‘Miss Cell’ 2022.
Ojukwu, the prime suspect in the alleged murder of Ataga in June 2021, is standing trial at the Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos.
The beauty pageant, it was learnt, was held on March 8, 2022, within kirikiri correctional facility to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), formerly known as Nigerian Prison Service, explained that it permitted the 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos and other inmates at its facilities to participate in the beauty pageant.
Reactions have trailed the event after pictures emerged on social media on the propriety or otherwise of allowing non-convicts such as Miss Chidinma Ojukwu to participate in the event.
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 said the pageant and all the other events were open to all female inmates whether convicted or awaiting trial.
He said in an interview with the Nation: “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 Chidinma 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 Ojukwu 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.