Before, she had a doting husband, who was at her becks and call. The situation turned gloomy after her husband was arrested over a case of alleged pipeline vandalism. And within the blink of an eye, he had been sent to prison.
It was a trying time for Kelvin because she was five months pregnant. The sadness in her eyes and heart was lifted after the Prison Fellowship International, a Christian faith base organization in United State of America, came into her life.
Many inmates and wives of inmates had benefited from the Prison Fellowship International.
Recalling how her husband was sent to prison, Kelvin said: “My husband was inside a speed boat, returning from somewhere when officers of the Nigerian Navy arrested him at Festac town with other passengers onboard the boat.
They were accused of being pipeline vandals that killed navy personnel. My husband was sentenced to prison about nine months ago. He was still in prison when I gave birth.
It was through the assistance of the Prison Fellowship that I and my daughter were able to survive. They provided my need and those of my daughter.
“Meanwhile, the fellowship made me to keep hope alive that my husband would be released through the effort of the legal team of the fellowship. I have missed my husband’s care and his support at home. I prayed God will bless the entire members of the fellowship.”
The Prison Fellowship International, a Christian faith base organization in United State of America came to the rescue of the Nigerian inmates and their family members through provisions of foods, clothes, money and legal assistance.
A former inmate, Mr. Yinka Adegbede, who regained his freedom after intervention of the Prison Fellowship, said: “I was into properties, but I was defrauded by some fraudsters.
They ran away after defrauding me. Before they were arrested, the owners of the money had ordered for my arrest.
I was taken to the office of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), where I was detained before I was charged to court. But before the fraudsters refunded the money, I had already been imprisoned. “I was sentenced to prison in 2009.
I was an inmate at the Medium Security Prison, Kirikiri. While in prison, I fasted and prayed to God before I met the Prison Fellowship. By the grace of God and the assistance of the fellowship, and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), I was released.
The thought of my being in prison, caused the death of my mother and brother. I sold my house to pursue the case. It was a bitter experience for me.”
One of the freed inmates, Grace Ogbe, said she was rejected by her family because she was an ex-convict. She’s happy today that the Prison Fellowship accepted and embraced her. She feels she now has a family.
She said: “The Prison Fellowship has changed my life totally. They made me to known I have another family; this was after my family members rejected and abandoned me. When I was in prison, nobody wanted to come around me.
When the Prison Fellowship International first visited the Maximum Female Prison at Kirikiri, I was a bit skeptical about them. When I finally joined them, I knew I was in the right place.
Even after serving jail term, they also provided shelter for me and gave me a job. It was a job that transformed my life.” Mr. Frank Lofaro, President of the Prison Fellowship said: “We are in about 132 countries across the world.
We touch lives of inmates and provide for the needs of the family of inmates. We’re very passionate about Nigerian prisons and inmates. We like the zeal exhibited by members of the PFN. They are our partners in progress.”
The Deputy Controller of Prison, (DCP), Mr. Chucks Akpuzu, representing the Controller General of Prison, thanked the Prison Fellowship for what it was doing for inmates across prisons in Nigeria. The DCP called on the body to assist Nigerian Prison Service in the area of prisons’ decongestion.
He noted that congestion of prisons was not solely the problem of the Nigerian Prison Authority. Akpuzu said: “When parents refuse to carter for their children, such kids become victims of circumstances. And such kids may become prisoners through offence they had committed.
We have a lot of awaiting trial inmates in the prisons. This is why we appreciate the Prison Fellowship; they have done a lot for our prisons.”
The DCP said that there were some prisons in Nigeria that did not have the capacity to accommodate large numbers of inmates, but now presently taking beyond their capacities.
He added: “This is why we’re clamoring for the decongestion of the Nigerian Prisons. We believe, the only way the prisons can be decongested is through partnership with faith base organizations like Prison Fellowship. And those that can offer legal aids to inmates.”
Barrister Benson Iwuagwu, PFN Nigerian Executive Director, said: “Every inmate is important to Prison Fellowship International. Every year we take care of the needs of every family member of the inmates. We assist in the areas of house rent, school and medical fees.
All these money come through our individual contributions to better the lives of the inmates. People looked and treated some of these inmates like condemned.
We however see them as part of the society. They are members of the society, going through challenges that would soon be over.” Iwuagwu continued: “There was a woman whose husband was imprisoned. He left his wife with three kids. But we’re providing for such people and others who need our assistance.
We’re not just providing their needs; we also give the inmates vocational trainings so that they could become self-reliant after serving their jail term.
We welcome professional bodies who may want to partner with us in providing the needs of the inmates.” Iwuagwu called on lawyers to come forward to provide legal aids for some of the inmates. He added:
“We have come to realized that our Legal Criminal Justice System makes prisons more congested.
As a result of the congestion, we recently sent a proposal to the Lagos State Government, on how to reform and decongest the prisons.
They have received it! We also signed a Memorandum of Understanding, so that they wouldn’t see what we sent as a big joke.”http://newtelegraphonline.com/imprisonment-responsible-mum-brothers-death-ex-convict/
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