Hundreds Christians converge for prayer at Juba Central Prison
By Isaac Vuni
December 26, 2008 (JUBA) — Hundreds of Christians from various denominations today Converged at Juba Central Prison to celebrate Christmas eave together with 807 prisoners detained on various offences.
Addressing faithful congregations, Director of Juba Central prison, Brigadier William Abel Lado, said that problems facing prisons are many especially of waiting detainees brought by police are being detained without trial.
However, Brigadier Lado emphasized that prison authorities are work very hard to ensure those loosely detainees are taken to court hearing on their charges.
Brigadier Benjamini appealed to inmates to refrain from committing crimes that will destroy their reputation and future of their family’s members and encouraged them to live a positive life at all times.
Meanwhile Officer in charge of prisoners, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Benjamin said prisons educate the inmates to become better future leaders of southern Sudan; adding that each prisoner should practice love, peace and respect to one another.
The representative of Sudan Council of Churches, Nelson King urged prisoners to be careful and mindful of each another. He advised them not to involve in sodomy practice till they are released.
As for those wanting to marry they should first take medical test of HIV statures before marriage because they have not been outside with people to see the danger of the disease among the community and adviced them to be faithful on whom they would like to have as a future partner by going first for medical checkup.
During the year 2008, two people were hanged on approval from president Ommar Hasan el Bashir and the next to be hanged is Mr. Joseph Jebel, Mundari Meliata, who is given 60 days ultimatum by the Supreme Court of Southern Sudan to sort out payment of 30 cattle as diya (compensation) to the family member of the murdered. Meanwhile condemned Gabriel Nyara Pio is to release by 27th January 2009 on condition that he pays diya of thirty million to family he murdered in March 2005
In another development, Mrs. Margaret Pita, aged 33 years and the mother of three children, was arrested in March this year and brought to Juba Central prison in September 2008 on allegations that she poisoned three children and planned to poison more police officers from Kejo-keji after she was caught skinning a deadly poison snake. She denied the charge but admitted to having a knife for stopping a lady she claimed to be a dangerous prisoner in their residential area that fateful.
There are 807 inmates including 35, 34 mentally unbalance and 738 waiting inmates brought by police.
The Sudan Council of Churches officially registered five denominations in Southern Sudan that include the Catholic Church, Episcopal Church of the Sudan (ECS), African Inland Church of the Sudan (AIC), Presbyterian Church of Sudan and Pentecostal Church to evangelize masses of south Sudan. There re also some unregistered sects.
(ST)