Inmates at Yei prison on Monday carried out a massive strike after one of their colleagues died after sustaining injuries due to beating by some wardens.
During the strike, the inmates broke offices of the prison, resulting into shooting after military intervention, Radio Easter reported.
Some citizens were frightened after hearing the gunshots which did not go for long but an intervention to scare the inmates.
Yei River County Chief Inspector of Police, Brigadier Sabino Dominic Tobo, told the media on Wednesday that 20-year late Bida Robert John was sentenced to two years prison after impregnating a lady.
He added that the late escaped from the prison before completion of his sentence that made the prison wardens authorities to look for him in order to be apprehended.
Brigadier Dominic mentioned that the late was later re-arrested by the prison wardens on Monday and died in the evening at 7:00 PM in the prison.
The Chief Inspector of Police clarified that four prison officers were arrested after the incident and are in police custody for alleged assaulting the late.
“A civilian called Bida Robert John is a boda-boda rider aged 20 years who had an engagement and impregnated a lady and a case was opened against him and he was sentenced to two years imprisonment and to pay some charges and he paid the charges of eighty-five thousand South Sudanese Pounds. He was to serve the sentence for the two years, but he escaped from the prison on the 16th July 2021 before completing his sentence. So the prison authorities had informed the public that if such a person is seen should be reported to them, so on Monday 24th January 2022 the prison authorities received a report that the late was around and they went to apprehend him and brought back to the prison”, he explained.
Brigadier Dominic revealed after the death of late Robert, the inmates grow angry because of the death of their colleague.
He said they immediately organized a strike and broke all prison offices and the gate of the prison.
Chief Inspector of Police said “after he died, his colleagues in the prison after realizing that the late died of physical assault, they mobilized themselves to strike and they broke the prison offices and the gate and there was a military intervention to scare the inmates to stop the violence. A committee is formed to investigate the incident and come out with findings and they are to start their work today”, he said.
Yei County Hospital Medical Director Joseph Malish confirmed that medical examination indicates signs of physical assault on the body of the late.
He believes that the massive injuries affected internal organs that led to the death of Robert.
“After our examination, we found that there were signs of physical assault on the body and a robe tied on the elbows of the late. The major injures measures eight to ten centimetres deep which is a sign that indicates a massive injury. In my technical view, I may say it could be the cause of death but the final justification may require autopsy”, the medical director explained.
Dr. Malish advised the laws implementing agencies to avoid physical assault on people who committed crimes, but execute the law to avoid such damages.
It is the first time inmates at Yei prison carried out a strike that caught the attention of the public.