An anonymous philanthropist has freed nine inmates, including a couple, from two correctional facilities in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The couple regained their freedom just one day before clocking one year in captivity.
According to information, this was one of the philanthropist’s many effective supports in rehabilitating and reforming inmates from correctional centres.

At the weekend, six inmates at Oke-kura prison and another three at Mandala prison, both in Ilorin, were freed, courtesy of the “masked” philanthropist.

The Controller of the state’s correctional centre, Oyeniran Famuwagun, confirmed that the nine inmates were freed after the philanthropist paid their various fines from his annual Zakat (charity).

Zakat is the fourth pillar of Islam through which the wealthy Muslims give out a prescribed amount of their wealth in charity to the less privileged, including debtors and those in captivity.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that some inmates are languishing in the correctional facilities due to their inability to pay fines in lieu of imprisonment.
The four correctional centres in Kwara, namely Oke-Kura, Mandala, Omu-Aran and Lafiagi are designed for 600 inmates, but presently host 1,232.

When contacted, the controller of the state command confirmed the release of the nine inmates from the Oke-kura and Mandala correctional centres.

He emphasised the need for fellow citizens to emulate the philanthropist in the nation’s collective efforts to decongest prisons and help inmates become better reformed after completing their various terms of imprisonment or regain their freedoms.

While commending the federal government for its efforts in ensuring the well-being of inmates, Famuwagun said that more still needs to be done in providing additional bed spaces for the facilities in Kwara State, especially at Oke-Kura.

He acknowledged the support of the Kwara State government to the command, citing the recent tarring of the road that leads to the command’s headquarters at GRA, Ilorin and the donation of borehole to the Oke-kura centre by the wife of the governor, Ambassador Olufolake Abdulrazaq, and further appealed for provision of more logistics like vehicles for the command.

The prison boss said that the command did not even have enough vehicles to convey inmates to courts.

Famuwagun called for the relocation of Oke-kura correctional centre from Ilorin metropolis to a new site, “to allow for the provision of more facilities like vocational centres and study centres for National Open University (NOUN) for the inmates to be well reformed.”

He appealed to the state government for additional support for the command, particularly in terms of vehicles and accommodations for the staff.

He added: “Many inmates at Oke-Kura prison are being detained for their inability to pay various fines. So if we have more donors like this anonymous philanthropist, more inmates could be freed and the prisons will thus become decongested.”

Above all, Famuwagun recommended the quick dispensation of justice by the judiciary and synergy among relevant stakeholders as measures that could pave the way for prison decongestion.