Prison Congestion: FG Urged To Resolve Minor Cases, Decongest Prisons

Concerned by a need to decongest correctional facilities across the nation, Founder of Pain is a Gift Initiative, Mr Tosin Imhogiemhe, has urged the Federal Government to expedite actions in resolving minor cases in courts.

Imhogiemhe lamented what he termed laws formulation but lack of enforcement, saying no less than 70 per cent of those behind bars are either innocent or awaiting trial.

He spoke during a visit to the Badagry Correctional Centre, Lagos, and called for holistic rehabilitation for inmates.

The author of ‘Pain is a Gift’ also explained that beyond vocational training, inmates should also undergo a character-building process to positively transform their minds.

According to him, “aside from vocational training, they need a character-building class or section that would renew their minds. To change them, we need rehabilitation and sensitisation, so that when they are out, they don’t become worse.”

Imhogiemhe encouraged government and well-meaning individuals to collaborate with them in their attempt to transform lives, saying: “I think that government plays a huge role in aiding our pursuit.

We need partners, government to provide the leverage, avenues and support us with a rehabilitation centre or funding such that when these people leave the prison, the prison also leaves them and they go back to fit into society seamlessly.

“Individuals, government, NGOs, international organisations should support us. It is a personal thing to help the hopeless and helpless in society. Essentially, what we do is to provide psycho-social support to the less-privileged – people with cancer, human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, inmates in prisons, widows, orphans. In one sentence, people who can’t naturally help themselves.”

On the motive for the visit, he said: “We released four inmates today and gave them some stipends to go home to their families. We are glad and feel fulfilled.”

Recounting how he began the foundation, he said: “It started with my own personal pursuit. I authored a book titled: ‘Pain is a Gift’ and it metamorphosed into a lot of things. Before I wrote the book, I never appeared on radio or the TV, but after I did, I became a radio and TV presenter. There is hardly a thing that I am today that didn’t emanate from the book.

“At some point, a warden at Kirikiri Maximum Prison said the book would really help inmates there and urged me to come speak to them. It seemed like a herculean task, but I called a few friends together and we brainstormed and started. It’s been five years now, and we have been to almost all the correctional centres in Lagos.

“When we got to Badagry Correctional Centre, we discovered it is quite different. The leader is a man of integrity and transparent. He really inspired us and informed us about the crime called raiding where people are captured in the streets of Lagos and brought to the centre for walking aimlessly.

“He informed us that they have petty fines and once they are paid, they can be released. We thought to ourselves that this is Christmas, and we can help people reunite with their families as opposed to rotten in person for no crime at all. It is a huge privilege and I couldn’t have done it alone as I have a great team that I work with who are relentless in making these things a reality.”