National Association of Seadogs (NAS), otherwise known as Pyrates Confraternity, Ash Montana Deck, yesterday partnered with the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Ibara, Abeokuta, to secure the release of five inmates with lesser offences and upgrade facilities at the centre.
NAS stated this when its members visited the Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to assist inmates convicted for minor offences to pay fines and regain freedom as part of programmes marking the World Human Rights Day.
NAS members, who were conducted around the centre in the company of the Deputy Comptroller, Richard Sanni, and the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Lolade Odukoya, to observe the conditions of the facilities, assured the management that NAS would provide necessary assistance to upgrade the facilities and give them a new facelift.
Speaking, the Immediate Past Area Mate 2, Yemi Akintunde, said that the Ash Montana Deck and Atlantis Deck decided to secure the release of the five inmates and pay their fines, which range from N50,000 to N300,000, because the association wants freedom for the inmates and to decongest the prison.
Akintunde said that only five of the inmates whose fines could be paid were identified and procedures to take them to court to secure their release have begun, expressing regret that the association would have secured the release of more inmates but their fines were associated with restitutions.
He also divulged that the association plans to enhance the facilities at the correctional centre by providing additional computer systems to the National Open University of Nigeria computer class and working tools to the vocational skills centres, which currently offer various skills training programmes, including tailoring, carpentry, shoe making, among others.
He said, “Five were identified and slated and procedures have started to take them to court for their freedom. Another was identified to be provided with legal assistance for appeal. The fines paid for the five inmates were between N50,000 to N300,000 and we would have done more but their fines involved restitutions.”
“We are Seadogs and we believe in human rights, we are here to render some assistance because we saw some of the facilities, but definitely we are going to extend our church-mind to upgrade the facilities. We are working with our legal adviser to see how many inmates we can help out. We don’t want this place congested. You still have a lot to do with your family and we are here to settle your fines.”
Also, Ash Montana Deck’s Legal Adviser, Barrister Abeeb Whyte, said that the association visited the centre to get the list of the fines it could pay for the release of some of the inmates to reduce overcrowding at the centre.
“We have come here to get the list of the fines we can pay immediately and we also promised that all other projects would be looked into,” he noted.
Earlier, the Deputy Comptroller, Sanni, thanked NAS for partnering with the correctional centre to pay the fines of those with lesser offences, urging the beneficiaries to make profitable use of their freedom with what they have learnt when they get out of the centre.
Sanni said that the management of the centre have demanded a generator, solar power, and upgrade of computer systems and some of the equipment in their vocational skills shops, expressing hope that the association would keep to their promises.
He said, “They (NAS) want to partner with us. Those of you that have fines, those fines will be settled. The only thing that is left for them is just the freedom and by the time God uses you to perform, you will perform better when you are free.”
“Some have N50,000 to N60,000 and N100,000 as fines and I don’t see anyone of you as criminal but only as human beings. And I am saying that whatever brings any of you here, you should retrace your steps and run away from them. Please help them, they have families too,” he opined.
