Group ease release of 5 inmates in Suleja

A group, Shaimes Unusual Hearts Foundation, has facilitated the release of five prisoners from the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State.

The group said that the gesture to release the inmates is out of love and compassion of the founder of the group for the less privileged, especially those who were in prison for bail-able offences.

Program Director of the foundation, Shedrack Okah, disclosed this at the Suleja Custodial Center, during the release of the prisoners, said the gesture was part of the foundation’s legacy project, to mark the founder’s birthday.

Okah said: “The motivation behind this humanitarian service to prisoners is the story behind the founder of the foundation Ambassador Sara Abdul, because of the experience she had in her childhood when somebody very close to her was wrongly in prison for being accused of stealing which he was innocent off and since then she developed the mindset of looking into the Affairs of an inmate when she grew up.

“She believes that not all the inmates are guilty and that was her reason for establishing these NGOs for prison well fare and integration of inmates into society.

“Shamies have a series of activities, and this particular one today, is called the founders day which use to Mark her birthday, 12 August every year with the Initiatives within the nationwide and times like 15 State to release petty criminal and equip them through skills and entrepreneur and also empower them with something to do to keep them busy not go back to that again.

“We have layers of activities and this is just first step which gets them to release from the correctional center, according to their crime, after then, some would be rehabilitated and with a partner with some sisters NGOs like medical center so that they can administer health to them based on their need. We also establish them to make sure they are busy, we do check on them every two months, quarterly, and every year,” he said.

Earlier in his address, the Assistant Controller of Corrections, Ali Dayyabu Ali, commended Shamies foundation for their initiative of empowering the less privileged in Nigeria.

He also called on other NGOs to key into what Shamies foundations doing in areas releasing prisoners, he also noted that the foundation has contributed a lot in the aspect of education.

He said: “We have secondary to degrees level, the vocational center where we train some inmates in tailoring, shoe making, and others.

“We urged other NGOs for the general development of our citizens and be discharged as a law-abiding citizen that is what is expected from us and trying with the collaboration of NGOs”.

Confirming the numbers of inmates released, he said “When the foundation came here, they paid for the bail five (5) inmates and promised to establish them, rehabilitate them back them to the society,” he said.

Speaking with journalists, one of the released inmates, Rebecca Danjuma, who commends the foundation for their kind gesture.

She said: “Is only God that can help and bless them. They come to my life at the point of need and God will come to their life at the point of their need. May God continue blessing them. I don’t know them but God you,” she said.