My name is Ogundare
Omolayo Linda, a 500 level clinician from the University of Abuja Law Clinic
and I must say that going to Suleja prison during the NULAI/OSIWA Pretrial
Detention Project is an experience I would not forget in a hurry. To me it's
like a cautious Reminder about being careful with everything you do. On the
faithful morning of the visitation day I was spiked with expectation of going
to release someone from prison and the journey started from Gwagwalada to Suleja and even though I am not a fan of loud bus chattering I was too excited
to notice any discomfort. When we got to the town, we had to try and locate the
prison. I had so much expectations of the prison already wondering if it was
like the movies after navigating through the annoying traffic and congested
motorist we arrived at the prison and that when my excitement started to dim.
The prison environment was
not anything like I imagined; the walls were not as tall as I thought it was
supposed to be and I started wondering if people do not escape the prison
daily. The prison walls are directly connected to residential houses and it was
another shock but I was still excited to go into the prison itself. After we
parked outside the prison, our coordinator had to go and confirm our arrival
but we could already see prisoners inside their cells from across the road and
as emotional as I am, I was already feeling sad. After some few minutes, our
coordinator returned giving some instructions about safety and personal
property but I paid little or no attention because I was just fascinated by the
sights of those prisoners in their cell and wondering why didn't they make a
better or different choice, one that didn't involve being behind bars. I later
tuned into the instructions on dropped our phones and gadgets and we proceeded
to the prison gate and my little heart was already beating.
Entering the prison
compound, there were detainees everywhere with some in groups and I couldn't
get over the fact that someone could actually escape from the prison very
easily. We started interviewing the detainees and after interviewing the first
two persons I realized that very minor offences brings people to prison and
that our system is really corrupt. One particular detainee plagued my mind and
I felt really sorry for the situation in the country. The young girl is barely
22years and because of her environment and circumstance she's in the prison and
she wasn't entirely remorseful about it because to her the crime is a normal
practice around her environment and she couldn't understand why she was caught
because even government officials and indigenes are involved in pipeline
vandalism and oil selling because it's a very lucrative way of making money for
herself and her family since there was really nothing else to do. I started
imagining a society where young girls would be forced into situations like this
and not feel sorry about what they do because that's the norm. It then dawned
on me that the plague of the country is farther than what is imagined and
because something bad is a norm doesn't mean it's right, taking a closer look
this is the general lifestyle in Nigeria as a lot of wrongs are done even by
our leaders we are so used to these wrong that they are now norms normal and I
was really sad.
Just as we wrapped up the
interview, it occurred to me that every single decision put together one makes
counts in determining your next step in life. Hence, we need to be careful
about the choices we make regardless of circumstances.
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