From Abdulfatah Babatunde, Abeokuta
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Islamic Humanitarian Society (IHS) has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the menace of overcrowded correctional facilities to stem frequent jail-breaking.
The National Coordinator of the HIS, Humanitarian Abdulrasheed Taiwo Okenla made the call in an interview with TheNewsZenith weekend in Abeokuta.
Okenla lamented that many lives are wasting away in many facilities. This, he said, was due to overcrowding cells, filthy environment and the country’s poor justice delivery system.
“Life has been wasted in correctional facilities services in the country. We just have to look into how to decongest these correctional facilities in Nigeria.
“Decongesting the facilities is more important or necessary than any other thing now,’’ he said.
According to him, the justice system is also long overdue. The Federal Government, he said, should look into these to stem incidences of jailbreak by the angry, impoverished and suffering inmate.
“Reformation of the justice system is what they (the government) should also look into.
“It is disheartening to see how inmates are suffering. In a room meant for less than 20 inmates, you will see as many as 100 people clustered there.’’
Okenla recounts many experiences of lamentation by inmates during IHS visits to various correctional centres.
“During our recent visit to Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, we met a banker in the facility.
“As soon as we started giving them lectures, as we normally do when we go on a visit like that, he stopped us. He said we shouldn’t bother to lecture him.
“Rather, he would lecture us on what led him into incarceration.’’
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The Coordinator narrated how the banker was full of regret over the crime he committed while trying to cater for his family’s needs.
Reflecting on the activities of HIS since it was established 25 years ago, Okenla said it has facilitated the release of more than 555 from correctional centres around the country.
He recalled an occasion in which IHS, convinced former governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun to grant amnesty to 60 inmates to mark his 60th birthday.
“In the last 25 years, IHS has facilitated the release of more than 555 inmates, in collaboration with other NGOs.
“I could remember some time ago when we talked to the governor in our state. We suggested to him that as part of the effort to decongest correctional facilities, he could release 60 inmates to celebrate his 60th birthday.
“The then-governor accepted our proposal and released 60 people to mark his 60th birthday.
Likewise, when you go to Oba Correctional Centre in Abeokuta too, you will see a befitting Mosque built by IHS and other NGOs. They built the mosque to encourage inmates to move closer to Almighty God.
He said that through its activities, IHS has been impacting positively on the lives of inmates across the country.
Looking back into its 25 years of existence, Okenla said IHS has been delivering soul-inspiring lectures. It has also been teaching them how to reintegrate back into society.
IHS has also been providing food and other materials for inmates.
“We are also assisting some inmate at the home front by visiting their families. We visit and give them hope that their loved ones will soon return home reformed.
Asked what motivated him to establish the HIS, the Coordinator recalled that sometime in 1999 in Oyo State, the then governor, the late Alhaji Lam Adesina released some prisoners.
“An incident happened sometime in 1999 during the regime of the late Lam Adesina. That incident motivated us to go into the activism of humanitarian service for prison inmates.
“That year, Adesina released some people from incarceration. And we discovered that almost 83 per cent of those people were Muslims.
“We were shocked to discover this, which prompted us to visit Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta.
“When we got there, we noticed that a lot of things were going wrong that were dehumanising. That is how we established IHS.
We thank God that today we are contributing immensely to the character reformation of some people, who after regaining freedom, were able to reintegrate into society.
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