My name is Yisa Lydia Blessing ,a 400 level clinician from
the University of Abuja Law Clinic and I must say that every moment and aspect
of the NULAI/OSIWA pretrial project has been very interesting and tasking, with exceptional experiences that has help improved my knowledge
on the prison system in my country Nigeria.
The most important aspect of the pretrial project that has
given me a new and better insight of the prison system and it structure, was
our advocacy visit to the NIGERIA PRISON SERVICE FCT DIVISION GWAGWALADA,
ABUJA.
There we met with the Controller General of the Prison
Service, and some other prison officials like the PRO and those in charge of
welfare. This experience was significant to me because I learned about on the
duties and management structure of the NPS as they are in charge of custody of
detainees in the prison. I was also pleased to hear that the NPS have their
welfare department that takes care of detainees feeding, health and other
maintenance.
Also in the
course of our interaction with the controller general, he informed us of the poor prison facilities which has to do with the capacity of the prison
as the section where the detainees are kept is of small capacity and as such cannot accommodate them as every prison is seen to be over
flowing with detainees. For instance he
made mention of the kuje and suleja female prisons. He said the kuje prison
which was for a capacity of 500 inmates, had over 800 to 850 inmates with only
200 as convict the rest awaiting trial. On the other hand the suleja female
prison of 250 capacity has over 390 inmates as some have been already convicted
and some awaiting trial.
This over population in the prisons are due to delay in the justice
system and also contributing to this is the government. As mentioned by the
controller general of NPS that the government are not conscious about the
management and provision of more facilities for the prisons, such as clinic’s
or even standard hospitals. I realized that due to this poor conditions of the
prisons the detainees get sick and do not have good medical facilities to get
treatments from.
My perspective of the prison officers was that they were
weakest to lock fellow humans beings up
and unconcerned about the welfare of the detainees but from the talk with the
controller general informed now understand that they are also trying to make
effort to see that the detainees are in good condition and if possible need not
to have to go through having to be in same building with criminals or persons
who can harm them (prison officers) while trying to escape from custody or even
when in the same van with them as they convey the prisoners to and fro. So it
not just having to keep persons in custody but also that the lives of the
officers are in danger.
From my experience so far I now know that my help and that of
every individual is required aside from what the government can do or will do.
As we could help provide feeding or medical facilities for prisons or even if
possible if it within individual’s capacity, help build or provide Medical
Centers or rehabilitation facilities or industrial companies were the detainees
could get helper learn trades or other things that could help the communities
and also themselves when they come out-of the prison. And it pleased me when the officer informed us that they
actually had ongoing trade and handcraft training sections for them as the
Dukpa farm center was been established and the training section for the inmates
was about to start as they will be taught Agricultural practices such as fish
farming, rice farming and production, poultry farming as these products will be
sold and the proceeds from it will be used to maintain the prisons and also as
it will be as the inmates contribution to their society.
With all this that I heard from the officer I am encouraged
to work more with bodies and persons that are willing to take on more of such
pretrial project brought to us by NULAI and OSIWA as it an opportunity for me
to contribute to my community and touch the lives of pretrial detainees.
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