“Prison is a home for everybody. I was once a prison officer but circumstances brought me here. I would like to advise everybody that you should be careful with your private parts. Prison is a hell on earth”, these are the exact quotes of Lance Corporal Abibulai Nankpa who is serving a 13-year jail term for possession of narcotics

The former warder at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison revealed that his journey with the service came to an end on the afternoon of 5th August 2016 from 2011 when he was arrested by guards of the facility as he attempted to throw some substances believed to be Indian hemp to inmates in the yard.

The Second Class Officer though in incarceration, maintains he is innocent of the crime after being convicted by a Cape Coast Circuit Court in 2018.

He revealed that while on admission at a health facility after his arrest, he almost committed suicide because he had suspected he had been framed up but was persuaded against such a move.

“I have been convicted of a crime I am not guilty of. When the prisoners saw me being brought in as one of them, most of them wept”, he revealed.

According to him, he was passionate about the welfare of the inmates to the extent he violated certain laws to make the prisoners happy which may have informed the reason why some shed tears and other encouraging him as he was being ushered into his new home.

Asked if his wife will wait for him to spend 13 years and come out he said “my wife has been very supportive it is rather unfortunate he is not working”.

He described prison as a second home of everyone and advised others not to make the kind mistakes he did resulting in his incarceration.