LAGOS – The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NIPS) on Thursday restated its commitment to safe custody and reformation of prisoners in its prisons.
Mr Biyi Jeje, the command’s Public Relations Officer, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
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Jeje said it was the responsibility of the command to keep safe custody of convicts and suspects awaiting trial sent to its prisons by the law courts with relevant warrants.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
He added that it was also its duty to reform such persons for reintegration into the society.
“We have ensured a good prison environment in all the prisons in Lagos State — Ikoyi, Badagry, Maximum, Medium and Minimum all in Kirikiri Town — to carry out such responsibility.
“We have various reformation programmes for the inmates at our skills acquisition centres located in the prisons where they learn trades like tailoring, crafts and shoemaking.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“We have our educational programmes too where the inmates study and sit for GCE and WAEC in a centre at the Ikoyi Prison, NECO in Maximum and JAMB in Ikoyi.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“Those who intend to further their education are given the opportunity to do so because we collaborate with the National Open University (NOUN), which created a study centre in Ikoyi,’’ Jeje said.
The spokesman explained that the service also sponsors the education of the inmates, adding that non-governmental organisations, churches and philanthropists had also assisted in paying for the costs of their studies.
“We partner with NGOs, churches and philanthropists who sponsor the cost of their examinations.
“They have been wonderful in assisting us.
“We have a computer training centre in Maximum Prison in Kirikiri. We partner with many churches, including the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), in promoting computer literacy.
“The church recently donated 20 new computers to the centre at Maximum and we have 15 in the Medium prison and more at the NOUN centre,’’ he said.
Jeje, a Superintendent of Prisons, noted that the Kinghts of St. Mulumba of the Catholic Church built the biggest Catholic Church in any prison in Africa at the Maximum prison.
He added that it was inaugurated by the then Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, retired Anthony Cardinal Okogie.
“We also have a magnificent Mosque in the Medium prison in Kirikiri, while Ikoyi prison also has both a church and a mosque.
“We have men of God that come here to attend to their religious needs,’’ the command’s spokesman said.
Jeje said that since reformation was all embracing, the authority had provided standard sports facilities in the prisons.
“We have standard football pitches in all the prisons, basketball and tennis courts and the needed equipment for other sports, including jerseys and boots.
“The inmates compete among themselves,’’ he said.
“We are doing all these because we have to reintegrate them into the society.
“We have good health facilities to attend to the inmates when they are sick.
“At the maximum prison we have a hospital which serves as a referral health institution and clinics at Ikoyi, Badagry and the Medium prison in Kirikiri.
“We also attend to their welfare by ensuring that they are adequately fed and go to court as at when due,’’ he said.
According to him, there are vehicles to take them to court but that more are needed.
On the female prisons, he said the facilities at the two cells – that for nursing mothers and the crèche – were adequate and well maintained
“While we have all these facilities in place, we appeal for assistance from corporate organisations and philanthropists to ensure adequate infrastructure, improved Medicare, vehicles and other logistics for effective management of the prisons.’’
He said that experienced staff and the command’s leadership under Controller Vincent Ubi made the success so far possible. (NAN)
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