21 Year-Old Nigerian Hanged Himself in UK Cell for Fear of Being Deported – Inquest Reveals

An inquest into the death of a Nigerian detainee, Riliwanu Balogun who was found hanged at a Young Offender’s Institute in the UK a day after his 21st birthday in 2011 has revealed he killed himself because he feared being sent back to Nigeria.

According to a BBC Report, Balogun moved to the UK when he was seven years old and spent much of his childhood in institutions.

A senior prison officer, Paul Mayfield said at the hearing that he was scared of being deported back to Nigeria. “He told me he had nothing to live for. He said ‘I’ll be deported back to Nigeria. I’ve got no-one back there. I’ll be living in the slums’.” BBC reports.

In April 2011, Balogun was transferred to Glen Parva Young Offender’s Institute in Leicester, which holds men aged 18 to 21. But on May 8, 2011, he was found hanged in his cell. The morning he was found hanged, he was assessed by staff after cutting himself.

It was reported that he was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary after staff tried to revive him but died a week later.

The hearing also revealed he had a string of previous convictions and that at the end of April he struggled to speak to a nurse because he was sobbing so hard.

It’s really shocking to hear such news which speaks very little of the living standards and quality of life here in Nigeria. He was only 21 and killed himself because he feared being deported back to Nigeria, a place where he knew no one and would probably live in the slums. May his soul rest in peace.

Deadly prison riot in Venezuela leaves 50 people dead

More than 50 people have been killed in a prison riot in western Venezuela, hospital staff say.

The riot was triggered when local media broadcast news that soldiers had been sent to Uribana prison in Barquisimeto to search for weapons, Prisons Minister Iris Varela said.

Hospital director Ruy Medina told AFP news agency that some 90 people were injured, mostly from gunshot wounds. The dead are thought to include inmates, guards and prison workers.


The director of Barquisimeto hospital, Ruy Medina, put the death toll at 54, Venezuela's Clarin newspaper reported.

Venezuelan Human rights activist Carlos Nieto Palma told BBC Mundo: "What should have been a normal procedure in any prison ended in a clash between National Guard [soldiers] and inmates."
He added that Uribana prison was among the most dangerous in the country.


Opposition leader Henrique Capriles blamed the violence on "incompetent and irresponsible government".

Venezuela's prisons are blighted by overcrowding and the proliferation of weapons and drugs. (BBC)

Our President is a Liar... Lessons from GEJ's interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour

President Goodluck Jonathan’s interview with Christiane Amanpour has generated a lot of reaction with several observers supporting his stand and others not quite impressed with his response to the questions thrown at him by the show host.

What follows are some of the important quotes:

 On whether Boko Haram is an existential threat

“If it (Boko Haram) is not contained, it can become a threat not just to Nigeria, but to West Africa, Central Africa and North Africa. Nigeria is committed to working with other friendly governments to make sure we contain the problems in Mali.”

 On whether Boko Haram is as a result of misrule and poverty

“Boko Haram is not as a result of misrule. Definitely not. Sometimes people feel it is as a result of poverty. Definitely not. We want the rest of the world to work with us, because our belief is that if we allow terror to exist in any part of the world, it will affect the rest of the globe. We should not play politics with Boko Haram.”

 On accusations of high handedness by security agencies fighting Boko Haram

“That is not correct. Those are insinuations by some interest groups. People get wrong information from the US State Department.  They have means of knowing the truth. They should try to filter the truth.”

 On the issue of power supply

“That is one area in which Nigerians are quite satisfied with government. Even civil society agrees that government has kept faith. We have not got to where we should be, because even if you have the money and political will, you can’t do it overnight’. We are working very hard, and I promise you by the end of this year, power will be reasonably stable in Nigeria.”

 On crude oil theft

“We want the international community to support Nigeria, because this stolen crude oil is bought by refineries abroad, and they know the crude oil is stolen. The world must condemn what is wrong.