My
name is Alexandre Nene Atabong and as a 500 level clinician from the University
of Abuja Law Clinic I really looked forward to the pretrial detention project ,so
when it was time for prison visitation I felt so ready and prepared.
I
was assigned to a team that would visit Suleja Prison. I and the rest of my
team members travelled from Gwagwalada to Suleja to interview these prisoners.
On reaching the prison I and the rest of us were asked to wait outside as the
prison wardens called out the prisoners we were to interview. On entering the
prison a lot of the prisoners attention diverted to the entrance while others
were locked in rooms as they struggled to catch a glimpse of their only hope in
form of law students, seeing this goose bumps crept all over my arms even under
the humid Suleja weather, it was so sad to see the condition these prisoners
were in.
As
an introvert I found myself interacting with total strangers especially those
who couldn’t speak or understand English, doing this I had to put it at the
back of my mind not to get emotional or feel pity but to bet correct facts in
order to help these people. Some of these prisoners were injured badly while
others were malnourished some even smelled horribly, I had to think why would
human beings be treated in such manner. In the middle of the interview our
attention was drawn to a prisoner who was being hit was a humongous log of wood
as if being in prison wasn’t enough punishment.
As
they narrated their stories I realized that some of these prisoners were locked
in this dungeon for the most trivial issues. To top it all off these prisoners
didn’t even have adequate records kept due to overcrowding or ignorance I
really do not understand.
Interacting
with these prisoners left me with so many unanswered questions like what is the
essence of the Nigerian Constitution. Doesn’t chapter four of the Nigerian
Constitution exist to preserve and protect our fundamental Human rights? So why
do the rights of humans keep being violated every day with little or nothing
being done about it?
I
learned that one can change and touch another person’s life by simply just
listening. And sometimes it could be an accomplishment to get that satisfaction
of just helping out a total stranger. Even though prisons exist for the
rehabilitation of an offender, an innocent person ending up in prison is even
far worst. Going to Suleja prison made me realize that all I have been taught
in theory is in contrast with reality and the legal system and prison system
needs some thorough reformation, and kudos must be given to NULAI for making
this project a big deal and for giving it utmost priority, because my encounter
with these prisoners made me become more conscious toward every aspect of life.
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