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…As group mentors, donates items to female inmates
By Kehinde Aderemi
Recently, the Ladies In Comradium (LIC) visited the female inmates of Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos. The visit was part of their usual humanitarian services to the society, and it was also to keep the hope of the inmates alive.
It was the first day in May, and the visit brought hope and relief to the inmates. They expressed joy that their hope to regain freedom was restored with positive messages that rekindled their hope.
The LIC, mostly women of different professional backgrounds and members of Kegites Club, gave detergents, toothpaste, sanitary pads, packs of noodles, slippers, buckets and other useful household materials to more than 500 female inmates at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
The LIC began their encounter with the inmates with special spiritual services, including prayers and mentorship. The inmates were also excited that the LIC team engaged them both spiritually and physically even as they showed them compassion and love.
President of LIC, Grand Matron Arigbede Idowu, explained that the LIC was founded six years ago as the women’s wing of the Kegites Club. According to her, they decided to establish LIC as part of their vision to give back to the society.
Arigbede stated further that the LIC is focused on impacting the society by bringing smiles on the faces of the vulnerable in the society. She noted also that the reason for the visit to the correctional centre was to show love, compassion and support the inmates at the time of need.
She added that the visit was part of their humanitarian engagement this year and that they would continue to meet the needs of the poor, and fulfil the dreams of the vulnerable in society.
“It has been part of us to give back to society. We have been doing this for the past six years. This is not the first time we have visited special places like this. We have also been going round to schools and health facilities to impact the society. We just felt as mothers that this is the only way we can support the female inmates. We want to give them from the little we have.
“That is why we brought so many gifts for them, so that they can feel loved. Apart from the gifts, I also advised them that being here isn’t the end of their lives. I told them that nobody is condemning them and that they can make the best use of their lives from the prison.
“We should always remember them at this time. We need to encourage them because being an inmate is a new experience entirely. It depends on the person involved as an inmate. For instance, many inmates become graduates from the prison and I believe they can be better whenever they are integrated into the society.
“I feel fulfilled because I gave them messages of hope and I am happy that nothing is beyond God. Many of them will serve their terms and go back to the society to start a new life and be builders of the society.
“I want to thank the prison authorities for taking care of the inmates. We can see that the prison authorities are taking care of them and that they are looking good even as inmates.
“The authorities are really working on them to make them better people to society. I want to urge my colleagues in the LIC to keep the hope alive. We still have a lot of programmes this year and I want to urge them to continue impacting society. That is the reason for our coming together and we should keep doing it to the glory of God and to the service of humanity,” she said.
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Grand Matron Awobajo Margaret Nnneka, treasurer of the club, in her remarks, advised the female inmates to believe in the mercy of God that has kept them from the dangers of life. She said rather than see themselves as prisoners, the inmates should see themselves as special beings loved by God.
Awobajo expressed hope that they are where they are in order to fulfil destiny and be whatever they had wished for the glory of God. She said the visit was to lift the spirit, body and soul of the inmates and it is to give them the needed hope that their freedom is certain.
“When you visit places like these, there is a need for self assessment and retrospection. We tend to appreciate God for the freedom we have to move at every time of our life and we tend to raise their hopes too that even as inmates God is still with them and that their staying in the correctional centre is just temporary.
“I told them that as much as there’s life there is hope and that all of them will come out of this centre safe and healthy. I am excited to be part of the team that visited the correctional centre because with the visit we are able to speak with them, motivate and inspire them and in all, raise their hopes that despite their limited freedom, there are still abundant opportunities outside that whatever they are able to lay their hands on here in the correctional centre can be useful to them whenever they are integrated back to the society.”
Mojisola Obanishola, one of the members, said she learnt a lot of lessons from the visit. According to her, the visit was not just about gifts sharing, the gesture was more emotional.
She stated that though this is not her first time of visiting correctional centres, places like this offer different lessons and perspectives about life.
“I know what it feels when you are confined in a place without seeing your people. They always have the expectations to see people visiting to show them love at this time of their lives.
“Even when somebody is admitted in a hospital and he or she is confined in a hospital bed without the liberty to move, it feels lonely. So such experiences tell us nothing but to appreciate God for good health, sound mind and the freedom to be healthy. I pray to God to spare us and all members of our family from being in this kind of situation because it is not easy to be in this kind of situation.
“For the female inmates, they are here for a reason and I want to assure them that there is still life after these experiences. Once they are released, they should pick up the pieces of their lives and begin a new life. To be alive is a rare privilege and to enjoy the freedom to be where you wanted to be at a particular point in time,” she stated.
Deputy Controller in charge of female inmates at the correctional centre, Adebisi Eunice, expressed appreciation to the team for their show of love and kindness.
Adebisi assured the LIC leadership that the various gifts presented to the female inmates would be given to them accordingly and that every item would be used judiciously.
“On behalf of the Controller General of the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, Lagos, I sincerely appreciate your support for the female inmates and I thank you for the visit and most especially for the kind gestures, gifts and words of encouragement for the inmates.
“All of these would go a long way in strengthening the bond between the management of the correctional centre and the LIC team and the society at large,” Adebisi assured.
Other members of the LIC that present at the event included matrons Oluyinka Taiwo, Funmi Aderinlewo, SF Mide Fawole-Adeitan, LSF Olufunke Oyeleye, Helen Pat, SF Yusuf Fausat and LSF Kikelomo Adesanya, among others.
