National Association of Seadogs (NAS),  known as Pyrates Confraternity, Ash Montana Deck, has partnered Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State, 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, to assist inmates convicted for minor offences to pay fines and regain freedom as part of its programmes marking the World Human Rights Day (WHRD).
  
The members, who were conducted round the centre in 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.
 
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 ranges from N50,000 to N300,000, because the association wanted freedom for the inmates and space in the prison.
  
Akintunde said only five of the inmates whose fines could be paid were identified and procedures to take them to court to secure their release had begun, regretting the association’s inability to secure the release of more inmates because their fines were associated with restitutions.
  
He revealed the association’s plans to enhance the facilities at the correctional centre by providing additional computer systems to the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) computer class and working tools to the vocational skills centres.
  
“Five inmates were identified 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 and N300,000.
  
“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 kindness to the upgrade of the facilities. We are working with our legal adviser to see how many inmates we can help out. We don’t want this place to be 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,  Abeeb Whyte, said the association visited the centre to get the least 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 least of the fines we can pay immediately and we promised that all other projects would be looked into,” he noted.
  
Earlier, Sanni had thanked the NAS for partnering 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 the management of the centre  demanded a power 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 its promises.