Abstract

Author(s): Emmanuel Amiel Usman, Ifraimu Lawan Istifanus, Philip Audu

This paper determined awareness of right to information, needs and seeking behaviour of inmates in Maiduguri and Yola Prisons, Nigeria. The study determined the awareness of right of information, information needs, seeking behaviour and the extent to which the inmates in the prisons are satisfied with the sources of information while in prisons. The study’s research design was survey. Purposive sample was used to draw a sample size of sixty (60) inmates in Maiduguri and Yola Prisons, Nigeria. A self designed questionnaire was used to obtain responses from the inmates in the prisons under study. Five (5) objectives were formulated to conduct the study. Four research questions were raised and answered, while a null hypothesis was tested. Frequency count and percentages were used to answer every research questions and Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The findings of the study revealed that, the inmates were not aware that information is their right in Maiduguri and Yola Prisons, Nigeria. equally it was revealed that majority get informed through prisons staff or relatives and that they were not satisfied with the information they get through that medium. On the other hand, it was also revealed that there was significant relationship between awareness of right to information and information seeking behaviour of inmates in Maiduguri and Yola Prisons. Nigeria. The following among others was recommended that the government should provide a befitting library for inmates since information is also their constitutional right, the government and None Governmental Organizations should intervene by providing various means of information networks to enable the inmates have access to sufficient information resources