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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
An Abuja based NGO, Shamies Unusual Foundation, has donated about 100 mattresses to Nigerian Correctional Centre Kuje.
The foundation at the weekend, also distributed food items and medical supplies to the inmates.
The inmates were entertained in a concert by top artists, comedians and Instagram celebrities.
Speaking to reporters, the president and founder of the organisation, Sarah Abdul said the programme was aimed at giving the inmates hope and relieving some of their depression.
She said the Nigerian justice system is broken, adding that some of the people behind bars are not supposed to be there.
‘Doing this gives hope to the inmates. There are a lot of them who have been locked up for long and they don’t have a taste of freedom to entertainment and the rest.
‘This is one of the many projects we have lined up and I hope that this will alleviate a lot of depression which is part of the thing I am fighting against.
‘Nigeria’s justice system is broken. I wish the FG would do something about it because there are many cases that should not be kept here.
‘If the country’s justice was the way it should be, we should not have an issue of congestion in Nigeria Correctional Centres.
‘Again, unemployment is the major reason the rate of crimes is very high. We feel FG should provide employment opportunities for our youths because they are talented and it would help the nation grow,’ she said.
Also speaking, Gabriel Agada, officer-in-charge of Kuje Correctional Centre, said the government had lived up to its expectations in catering for the centre and that the actions of the Foundation were only to complement what the government had been doing.
‘What the foundation is doing now is to complement the Government’s effort because they have been doing. This concert is to make them happy and assured,’ he said.
Reacting to the question that items donated to inmates are diverted, he said
‘As far as I am concerned there is nothing like that. This is the seventh Centre I have headed and I have never had such a case. No right-thinking officer will do that. It is just an assumption that also happens in other systems, not just here.’
