The Ikoyi Correctional Centre has transitioned from a punitive to a correctional approach, focusing on rehabilitating inmates and preparing them for reintegration into society.
This was revealed by DCC Ebereonwu Julius Ogueri, Officer in Charge of the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, during a special event recently, where Nollywood star Queeneth Agbor celebrated her birthday by feeding 1,000 inmates.
DCC Ogueri, Officer in Charge, emphasised the centre’s commitment to correctional services, highlighting the centre’s shift from punitive to correctional approaches.
“We have changed from punitive service to correctional service. We employ all the indices of correctional services, and we use education to transform their lives. Education is the foremost arm of rehabilitation”, he said.
The centre’s approach focuses on education, talent development, and rehabilitation, providing inmates with opportunities to acquire skills and develop their talents.
The centre’s focus on education and rehabilitation underscores its commitment to transforming lives and promoting reintegration into society.
DCC Ogueri appealed to corporate organizations and individuals to support the centre’s efforts, particularly in providing laptops and computers for inmates taking the West African Examination Council’s forthcoming examination, saying, “We need laptops and computers to enable our students to excel in their exams.”
Agbor’s act of feeding 1,000 inmates at the centre highlighted the importance of compassion and rehabilitation.
Agbor’s selfless act was praised by DCC Ogueri and other stakeholders, who emphasized the importance of kindness, compassion, and second chances.
“Every human deserves dignity. Every human deserves a second chance,” Agbor said, highlighting the need for empathy and understanding in society.
The event showcased the centre’s progress in rehabilitating inmates and preparing them for reintegration into society.
As DCC Ogueri noted, “Behind the bars, there are lots of dividends, there are noble men. I nurture and teach people, and I try to make them better people who will suit society.”
Actor and filmmaker Emeka Osai described the event as an “eye-opener,” stating that: “I feel wonderful. First of all, I’m happy that she’s clocked another year, but her choice of celebration is what has actually impacted me much more.”
Osai further said: “You know, that she undertook to feed a thousand inmates. Ordinarily, you would think, why prisoners? Because everyone wants to think that a prisoner should continue to suffer.
“But you see, there’s something she had behind her mind, which the head of this correctional center emphasized. And I saw in the inmates that the jail system is no longer punitive, but correctional.”
Osai added, “I would advise that people who come here to show love, just like some people go to a motherless baby’s home to show love. These people, whether they have their parents or not, deserve to be shown love. Deserve to be given a second chance at life and appropriate living.”
The celebrant, Agbor, emphasised the importance of kindness, compassion, and second chances.
“Every human deserves dignity. Every human deserves a second chance,” she said.
She added: “I believe in the power of a second chance. I believe in the power of kindness. I believe in the power of humanity. Everybody is human. It’s not because he committed a crime, so therefore you treat him like a nobody, no, he, without a sin, cast the first stone. That’s what God said.”
Agbor, who has starred in over 40 Nollywood films, expressed her desire to make a difference on her special day.
“This year, I wanted my birthday to be more meaningful,” she said. “Feeding a thousand inmates is my way of spreading love, hope, and reminding them that they are not forgotten.”
The event ended with Agbor appealing for support for the inmates, especially in providing laptops and computers for those preparing for the upcoming West African Examination Council. “Laptop is next. I think, yes, I should get them laptops. That is what I should do next”, she said.
The inmates who have discovered their talents in entertainment, comedy, and music, prayed for Agbor’s long life and well-being.
One of the inmates, who is in charge of the church at the Correctional Centre, said, “Even though our family members have forgotten us, your visit shows that we are not forgotten.”
Mary Nnah
