Girl, 4, dances for slain prison officer father at Siparia funeral

The four-year-old girl who was with her father, Nigel Jones – a prison officer –as men shot and killed him paid tribute to him by dancing at his funeral on Tuesday.

Next to the casket, Aniyah danced to the song God Provides by Tamela Mann as relatives and other mourners cheered.

Heavily armed police and prison officers, together with scores of mourners, attended the funeral at the Irwin Park sporting complex in Siparia.

At the start of the funeral, Aniyah recited a Bible verse (Philippians 4:13) saying, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

On November 29, the 38-year-old prison officer was shot dead as he stood with her at the Fyzabad taxi stand in Siparia. The two, from Fyzabad, were waiting for a taxi to go home.

Video footage of the drive-by murder was shared on social media.

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, Prisons Commissioner Dennis Pulchan, La Brea MP Stephen Mc Clashie, Prison Officers' Association president Ceron Richards and other officials attended.

Hinds called on God to be with Aniyah.

He said the child saw things, heard things and experienced feelings that no child her age should have seen, heard, or experienced.

"This society owes that child all that it can give. This is not Lebanon, Syria or Gaza. This is Trinidad and Tobago, where we make provisions for our children.

"I have children too. I have a family, and only God knows how they feel—the coldness in the presence of that baby."

Hinds implied that prisoners were behind Jones's murder. He referred to Jones as an outstanding officer and father.

Without calling names, he accused people of using a social media campaign with the help of their “friends on the outside” to convince the public that what they did was right.

"We reject that. It (killing) is an attack on democracy, the well-being of the state of TT, and it borders on terrorism."

Hinds slammed "misguided miscreants" who he said at times chose to do evil instead of good.

He commended prison officers, saying while the public is at home, officers work in prison, constantly dealing with managing prisoners daily.

He called on prison officers never to let their enemies immobilise them with fear.

Pulchan said in the service’s 183 years, officers have seen a new form of deviance of late.

He said Jones, a tower of strength, did his job fearlessly and was respected by all.

"The service has lost one of its greatest sons.

"Some members within the prison walls feel they must continue their criminality behind bars. We will not allow that behaviour to continue," he said.

"No one individual can bring this organisation to its knees. I urge officers to not succumb to fear. Fear only one thing – God. Fear God, not man."

He also accused people of using social media to bring down the service.

Pulchan said: "My prison officers daily feed the law offenders. They protect them from themselves. When they are ill, we take them to hospital. Yet that mouth seems to be biting our hands. This is not acceptable. I believe God is the greatest avenger."

A friend, identified only as Dwayne, told mourners Jones became a father figure to his siblings when Jones' parents separated.

He said Aniyah says her father is in heaven.

Dwayne said: "He is in the arms of the heavenly father, as his daughter said: ‘My Daddy is in heaven."

Officiating pastor Wilma Kelly of the Way of Holiness Church in Point Fortin officiated, and said she has been working with the prison chaplain for about 25 years.

She said prison officers give prisoners money to help them care for themselves.

Kelly said many promises were made to help improve the prison system over the years.

She said Hinds, as a minister, inherited some of the problems.

"His hands are tied. He tried even before he was the Minister of National Security."

She threw jabs at fathers who failed to care for their children, and also accused women of sleeping with men and failing to check their backgrounds.

Members of the Los Bajos prison youth club movement, the prison service band and other people paid tribute to Jones.

His body was taken to the Siparia public cemetery for burial.

On November 26, his colleague Trevor Serrette, 48, of Sangre Grande, was shot dead at his fruit stall in Valencia. His funeral took place on Monday.