Date: 2016-11-08

Movement of prison inmates to courts from Mandalla Maximum Prison in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State has been grounded following the collapse of the bridge leading to the prison.

The Officer in charge of the prison, Alhaji Abayomi Gbadamosi, lamented that apart from inability of the prison management to move inmates to courts in llorin, the collapsed bridge had paralyzed other activities at the prison.

"Operationally, the prison cannot make its statutory representation in various courts since the collapse of the bridge", Gbadamosi said, adding that he could not take the risk of transporting the prison inmates through other routes which he described as long, risky and tiresome.

"It is basically not safe to carry our inmates through unofficial roads. Whatever happens to them would not be explainable by me and to ply safe we decided not to go to courts at all," he said.

The age-long bridge that links Oyo state with Kwara collapsed last week Monday. The collapse has also affected hundreds of traders and farmers transporting their goods through the area, and last Tuesday they embarked on a protest to the state Ministry of Works in llorin requesting the rehabilitation of the bridge.