My name is Usman
Fizzah Jummai and I am a student of Nasarawa State University. I am also a
member of the Nasarawa State University Law Clinic and I was priviledged to be
part of the OSIWA/NULAI project and the benefits I got from the project cannot be
overemphasized.
The whole
experience was thrilling for me but what thrilled me the most was the way the
detainees cooperated with us giving us every vital information and actually
believing we were worth their trust.
When we arrived the prison, I felt very nervous and there
were lots of questions that flooded my mind owing to the fact that it was my
first time in a prison.
Questions like will the prisoners be receptive towards us or
will they be mean?
Will they just tell us to our faces that we can't help them
just because we are students?
Fortunately, the first prisoner we interviewed seemed very
calm and gave us maximum cooperation so i began to loosen up. Besides i was
lucky enough to be paired with someone who although was ahead of me in class but
was very understanding and patient with me.
There was a huge
gap in communication. Most of the prisoners communicated in Hausa and had no
understanding of the English language but we were able to tackle the situation
by pairing up with people who are very fluent in the Hausa language.
I and my partner
interviewed a total of three detainees taking down notes on each case and
eventually we left the prison feeling fulfilled and feeling the need to work
towards providing these prisoners with an access to justice.
One thing I've
realised from the visit to the prison is that not every prisoner is actually
guilty of what they have been accused of. Most of them are financially weak and
cannot afford legal representatives so they don't even get a chance to defend
themselves and they just resign to their fate.
With the help of the NULAI project, the NSUKLAW clinic was
able to provide such detainees with legal representatives and also able to help
some detainees get bail.
Personally, this
project has helped to boost my self esteem and has provided me with tips on how
to relate with prisoners. It has also served as an eye opener to the injustice
in the legal system and the need for it to be rectified.
Thinking about the
project alone fills me with a lot of pride and I sincerely hope to be a part of
it again in the nearest future.
Thank You.
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