Reactions, yesterday, trailed the crowning of Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Super TV boss, Michael Ataga, as “Miss Cell 2022” on Monday in Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
   
Ojukwu participated in a beauty pageant alongside other ladies at the correctional facility and emerged the winner of the competition.

Although the event was to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day, many Nigerians took to the social media to condemn the activity, on the ground that it promotes and encourages crime in the country.
     
Reacting, a twitter user with the username @NaijaSha said: “we really shouldn’t have televised this, as it comes out as insensitive and inconsiderate. Well people might argue that it is a correctional facility activity. I’m just wondering if will keep the same energy when an alleged ritualistic is doing Mr. Mancho.”

   
Another user @drjeff60 questioned reasons behind her involvement, while family of the deceased are still bereaved. He said: “Why televise this? Prison activities are kept away from the media. How do you want the families of the deceased to feel?.”

 @folukesixty7 said: “the only lesson from here is We are encouraging other beautiful ladies without recognition to perpetrate the same act and become famous. Flaws in our correctional facilities and judiciary system.”

@LegendMMX said: “this is insensitive to the families of the slain man. They are still grieving.”
    
Meanwhile, some have said Chidinma’s participation in the beauty contest was part of The Nigeria Correctional Service (NIS) effort to rehabilitate the suspect and other inmates.
    
@Zikobi5 said: “Most comments here prove how Nigerians think.  We envy western prisons and their modus operandi, yet the little progress made by Nigerian prisons are condemned by some. Nawa oo.  Una no like good thing? A prison is a correctional center, and organizing a pageant is Great.”

MEANWHILE, spokesperson for Nigeria Correctional Service, Francis Enobore, said the beauty pageant was part of the activities the correctional services facility uses to ensure that inmates are in ‘sound and good spirit.’
 
Enobore said to ensure that inmates are in a high spirit, the correctional centres engage them in exciting competitions like; pageantry, cooking competitions among others.

   
He said, “What happened is that as part of our reformation and rehabilitation programme and to also keep the inmates in a sound and good spirit, we organised a number of social engagements amongst them. Some could be recreational activities, some could be theatre work like entertainment.
 
“There are a number of programmes that we introduced to get the inmates happy and put them in a good frame of mind.

“First, we ensure that while they are there, they are open to correction, second, we ensure that they are there in good spirit in order to help them kill boredom. There are so many things we do. In line with this, the officer in charge of the Kirikiri correctional facility organised some competitions among the inmates like cooking, tailoring, make-up, among others.
 
“These are things that will make them happy because our primary responsibility is to keep them safe and sound. That was what happened and she emerged the best in the competition. It is part of what we do.

“In fact, the person in charge of the Kirikiri female prison has been doing marvellously well.” Ms Ojukwu, an undergraduate of University of Lagos, is standing trial at the Lagos High Court for alleged murder of Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, on June 15, 2021 at a short let apartment in Lagos.